Riddle and his Sphinx
by phoenixspuzzle
Summary: One day, a new arrival at the orphanage captures Riddle's attention. As they grow up, Tom discovers he has deeper feelings for her. However, she is clueless. As he learns to acknowledge his emotions, he begins to become The Dark Lord.
1. The Young and the Lonely

A chorus of little boys laughing interrupted Tom Marvolo Riddle's silence. He turned his head to stare at them as they ran wild in the field just around the corner. Stupid children, he wished they would just lose their voices so they would stop bothering him. Once the noise stopped, he turned his head back, looking at the small cracks of sky that were visible through the oak leaves. The grass surrounding him as he laid on the ground itched his skin, covered in the most decent clothes he could find in the meager orphanage closet.

Even at just four years old, Tom Riddle was stunning: a vision of childhood perfection with his alabaster skin, white teeth, shining hair, and blue eyes. At first, the other children at the orphanage had been jealous because they had been certain that he would get adopted right away. They'd soon discovered the reason why, despite all the families that came to see him, he never received the thing all of them dreamed about: a new home. Tom Riddle rarely spoke, but a foul cloud hung around him, warning every that came close to him that he was not a nice, normal child. Tom Riddle did not want to have friends. He did not want to play games with the other children at the orphanage. He did not want to eat meals at their allotted time. He simply did not want to follow rules or be normal. At four years old, Tom Riddle already despised humanity.

His silence was interrupted once again, this time by soft footsteps. He turned, this time seeing a small girl crouching in the grass. She reached for a blade of grass, lifting a caterpillar onto her finger. Tom watched her take a few more steps before she set the caterpillar down, this time in the shade on the opposite side of the tree he was laying under.

"I didn't want to kill it," she whispered quietly. He averted his eyes, realizing she had noticed that he'd been staring. She still just stood there, holding her hands together nervously. Her dress swayed in the wind, a pink frock with white lace. It looked expensive and well cared for, something that was surely out of place here. Her hair was softly tousled back, the light brown looked recently cut and carefully cleaned. Her nails were clean, polished, and trimmed. She looked just like a little porcelain doll, standing there in the dim sunlight, so fragile, so tiny, so alone.

The boys started yelling again.

One said, "Where did that little brat go? We still have her hat."

Another replied, "Guess she doesn't want it. Let's go. It'll be a nice present for Cindy."

Tom winced at the annoying noises, while the little girl kept staring down at the caterpillar. She spoke up again when the noises of the boys retreating had ended, saying, "I'm Eleanor."

Tom didn't reply. He didn't see any reason why he should. He didn't know this girl, and he didn't feel any special connection towards her. Sure, she was pretty, but many girls were pretty at this age and he didn't particularly care much for them anyone. Besides, she was probably just a rich girl whose parents had dropped her off for a day just so she could see how fortunate she was.

A few days later, Tom was walking down the hallway when someone yelled, "Hello!" He looked around and saw no one else in the hallway. It was dinnertime, so most of the children were in the dinning room. Tom had finished eating quickly and skipped out, but he hadn't seen anyone else leave. Curiously, he back tracked. He saw a partially open door, with a little head he recognized peaking out. It was that girl again, Eleanor.

"Do you want to play with me? My babysitter just brought my toy's to me," she said, shyly looking down. Normally, he wouldn't, but something about her large, helpless eyes drew him in. Besides, she still reminded him of dolls, and maybe he could play with her instead. He was entertained so easily by manipulating people and forcing feelings out of them.

She opened the door a little wider to let him in, then shut the door behind him. They sat on the floor, playing with her stuffed animals and trains and all the rest of her toys - there were more in her room alone then he'd seen in the entire orphanage.

"Would you mind me asking...what's your name?" she suddenly pipped up, her squeaking voice the first to not grate on his ears.

"Tom," he said, his voice quiet from not speaking often.

She nodded and continued playing.


	2. Growing Up

It had been a little under four years since Eleanor had first moved into the orphanage. Tom had finally learned what had happened to her parents when she was six years old, through overhearing a conversation between Ms. Cole and the assistant. She had been at home with a babysitter when, as her parents were on their way back from a play, their car skidded off the Westminister Bridge. They'd been relatively wealthy, and nobody had ever imagined she would end up in an orphanage - until the ministry had looked up her records and discovered she had no living relatives. The babysitter had offered to take her in, but was told that she would not be able to without a legal adoption, and for that to take place Eleanor would have to enter an orphanage for some time. There was also a financial restriction that the babysitter, as a young girl just out of school, could not meet. The babysitter had brought over all of Eleanor's things: her dresses, toys, books, furniture, blankets, pictures, and a good part of the spending money her parents had intended to give her as she grew up.

After that, several families came to visit Eleanor. One picture of the beautiful, doll-like, young child would simply have most families interested in adopting a girl and clamoring to visit. Since Eleanor was her usual self during these meetings, clever and animated, almost every family that had met her had wanted to adopt her. But Eleanor refused to go. She didn't want another family. She didn't want to call anyone else her parents. She'd had a mother and father once, ones that she only faintly remembered from a few posed photos, and she never wanted another set. Every family left frowning, unable to believe they'd been turned down by such a helpless looking little girl. Ms. Cole didn't mind keeping her - Eleanor's presence was simply ravishing in itself, and the girl wasn't very hard to take care of, aside from the frequent illnesses.

Since Eleanor had entered the orphanage she had probably spent more days in bed than outside, whether this was from laziness, a knack for getting sick, or her complete lack of a filter for bad ideas varied by her mood. She would be jumping around inside and fall off the bed and injure her leg, or she would be wandering in the park next to the orphanage, unbeknownst to anyone, and come back with some odd bruises or scratches. She had a propensity for getting into trouble. Rules were simply never enforced for her, so she thought she had the right to break them. Unfortunately, since the rules were often made to protect her, this led to a lot of painful injuries on her part. She also had a natural tendency to sicknesses, created by her tiny frame and frail organs, made worse by her inclination to break rules.

Because of Eleanor's inability to make it a full day without either a sneezing fit, a horrible bruise, or a strict speech from Ms. Cole, Tom had learned to hover around her and be the voice of reason. He had learned to never let her wander off alone, because she would often wander off in search of trouble disguised under the word "fun". He had learned not to let her go outside when it was raining or snowing, as she refused to wear anything warmer than a dress, peacoat, and scarf and never carried her umbrella. He had learned to make sure that she didn't leave her room when she was sick. Moreover, he had become her teacher when she missed school, sitting next to her on the bed and reading to her when she had a cold, or helping her with her math homework when she was much too bored to focus on it. Basically, he had learned to take care of her as any reasonable but guideless older brother would.

All of the other children at the orphanage still hated Tom, but they began to love Eleanor. As she grew up, Eleanor would read to the smaller children before their bedtime. She let them play with her toys when she outgrew them. She taught them new games and ran around with them outside when she was feeling well. Ms. Cole appreciated this, as it took one job out of her hands, and that was why she had never gotten angry at Eleanor for saying no to every family who had wanted to adopt her. In short, Ms. Cole herself had neither the time, energy, patience, or attitude needed to deal with the younger children, and therefore did not want to part with Eleanor, who had all of these traits.

Even though it was mostly the younger children she spoke with, the children that were Eleanor's age started to like her more too, since they frequently had younger siblings who loved her. She was never left out of anything on purpose; she often did choose not to participate in their excursions or speak to them because she would rather hang out with Tom. Once Eleanor passed the key age of 10, some of the older boys started paying attention to her. Eleanor rarely noticed their looks and nearly never returned their greetings, but Tom did notice. He noticed the way the boys stared at her as she walked past, the way they spoke about her when she wasn't in the room, and, the part Tom hated most, the way they called her "doll" when she wasn't around. Tom would usually glare at them for it, and that would normally scare them enough for them to stop for a few days.

As dinner was about to start one day, Ms. Cole surveyed the room where all the children were gathered. She clicked her tongue before saying, "Oh dear, Eleanor's gone missing again. That child just doesn't know what's good for her, skipping meals and running about in her impractical little dresses. Would anyone care to call her from her room?"

A slew of voices immediately accepted the request. Several hands waved in the air urgently, as if this would give them a better chance of being chosen. Everyone wanted to be around Eleanor, everyone wanted her to grace them with a few of her rare words, spoken in what others often described as a musical tone. Tom shot a glare at the three boys sitting across from him, all 13 years old and all begging Ms. Cole for the chance to get Eleanor.

"Tom, why don't you go?" Ms. Cole finally screamed over all the excited children's voices. Everyone quieted down almost immediately, switching their focus, and their stares, over to Tom. Without saying a word, Tom got up and trudged through the hallways to the familiar door he had knocked on countless times over the last few years. He didn't bother knocking now; they never bothered knocking when entering each other's rooms anymore. Tom simply walked in. When he saw her reading on her bed once again, he sighed before saying, "Eleanor, it's dinnertime."

"I'm not hungry," she responded without looking up.

"You barely ate breakfast and you've been out running around in the park all day. You know Ms. Cole is already mad at you for going to the park without telling her. Come and eat, everyone's waiting."

"I'm not hungry. Tell Ms. Cole I won't be coming for dinner."

"You'll get hungry later."

"I'll be going to bed soon, so I will not get hungry later."

"Ellie, come and eat. You've been getting even skinner lately. That can't be healthy."

"You barely eat either." she muttered.

"Come on," Tom ordered. She looked over at him now, recognizing that authoritative tone. She knew she couldn't argue any longer without making him angry, and she knew that she would do anything to avoid making him angry. She finally stood, putting her still-opened book down on her bed, and followed Tom to the dinning room.


	3. Not So Strange

_ A/N: I am not sure how long it took for me to post this update, but it sure felt like a very long time. So sorry. I was busy over the holiday weekend (for those of you not living in the U.S., it was Independence Day) and lazy the rest of this week. I also found it hard to try to write Dumbledore in character, which is why I got stuck halfway through this chapter. Honestly, I don't feel very good about this chapter, but I figure I should just get it over with and post it since I can't see it getting any better._

_**Disclaimer: Much of this chapter is adapted from pgs. 264-275 of the hardcover US version of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling. Therefore, the voice of this chapter may be different from the voice of my other chapters. I think this will be the only chapter that relies heavily on dialogue from the books.**_

* * *

><p>"Good Afternoon," said Dumbledore, holding out his hand to the weary woman as he stood in the doorway of Wool's Orphanage. Ms. Cole simply gaped.<p>

"My name is Albus Dumbledore. I sent you a letter requesting an appointment and you very kindly invited me here today."

Mrs. Cole blinked. Apparently deciding that Dumbledore was not a hallucination, she said feebly, "Oh yes. Well – well then – you'd better come into my room. Yes."

She led Dumbledore into a small room that seemed part sitting room, part office.

"I am here, as I told you in my letter, to discuss Tom Riddle and Eleanor Jouteur and arrangements for their future," said Dumbledore, "I am a teacher. I have come to offer them places at my school."

"What school's this then?"

"It is called Hogwarts."

"And how come you're interested in Tom?"

"We believe he has qualities we are looking for."

"You mean he's won a scholarship? How can he have done? He's never been entered for one."

"Well, his name his been down for our school since birth-"

"Who registered him? His parents?"

There was no doubt that Ms. Cole was a sharp woman. Dumbledore slipped his wand out of his pocket and a bottle of gin appear. Upon seeing the bottle, Ms. Cole offered Dumbledore a glass as if she had always known it was there. Dumbledore took the glass, and then watched Ms. Cole down her own and pour another for herself.

"I noticed you didn't ask about Eleanor," Dumbledore said in an effort to distract her.

" Her parents were quite well off, of course it's logical that they would have made a plan for her schooling. Anyway, everybody's always interested in Eleanor. She's a beautiful little thing, you know. Everyone seems to love her," Ms. Cole says, a hint of jealousy obvious in her tone.

"But not Tom?"

"Oh no, I think she's the only child here that Tom likes. He's a funny child." says Ms. Cole.

"Yes," said Dumbledore, "I thought he might be."

"He was a funny baby too. He hardly ever cried, you know. And then, when he got older, he was...odd."

"Odd in what way?"

"He definitely got a place at your school?"

"Definitely. Nothing you say will change that."

She said in a sudden rush, "He scares the other children. Not like Eleanor. They're scared to speak to Eleanor, but they're scared of Tom."

Dumbledore's eyebrows furl in confusion, "Why are they scared to speak to Eleanor?"

"Perhaps it's because she can be quite intimidating, always running wild and looking like a little princess with her dresses. But I think it may be because...well, Tom doesn't seem to like when they speak with her."

"Why would they be scared of him? He's only a child."

"I told you, he's an odd child."

"Do you mean that he's a bully?"

"I think he must be," says Ms. Cole, frowning, "but it's very hard to catch him at it. There have been incidents...Nasty little things...Billy's Stubbs's rabbit...well, Tom said he didn't do it, and I don't see how he could have done, but even so, it didn't hang itself from the rafters, did it?"

"I shouldn't think so, no."

"But I'm jiggered if I know how he got up there to do it. All I know is he and Billy had argued the day before – I think because Billy had given Eleanor some flowers. And then, on the summer outing, we take them out, you know, once a year, to the countryside or the seaside- well, Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop were never quite right afterwards, and all we ever got out of them was that they'd gone into a cave with Tom Riddle. He swore they'd just gone exploring, but something happened in there, I'm sure of it. And, well, there have been a lot of things, funny things..."

She stopped to pour yet another glass of gin before saying, "I don't think many people will be sorry to see the back of him. Eleanor however...the younger children almost see her as a mother."

"They will have to return here, at the very least, every summer."

"Oh, well...I suppose you'd like to see them?"

"Very much," said Dumbledore, standing.

"I'll take you to Tom's room first. He's always inside."

They finally stopped outside the first door in a long corridor. Ms. Cole knocked twice before entering. "Tom? You've got a visitor. This is Mr. Dumbledore. He's come to tell you – well, I'll let him do it."

Dumbledore entered the room, looking around. It was a small, bare room with nothing in it except an old wardrobe and an iron bedstead. A boy was sitting on top of the gray blankets, his legs stretched out in front of him, holding a book. He was his handsome father in miniature; tall for eleven years old, dark-haired, and pale. His eyes narrowed slightly as he took in Dumbledore's eccentric appearance.

"How do you do, Tom?" said Dumbledore, walking forward and holding out his hand.

The boy hesitated, then shook his hand. Dumbledore drew up the hard wooden chair beside Riddle before saying, "I am Professor Dumbledore."

"Professor?" repeated Riddle, "Is that like doctor? What are you here for? Did Ms. Cole get you in to have a look at me?"

"No, no," said Dumbledore, smiling.

"I don't believe you," said Riddle. "She wants me looked at, doesn't she? Tell the truth!"

He spoke the last three words with a ringing force that was almost shocking. It was a command, and it sounded as though he had given it many times before. Dumbledore made no response except to smile pleasantly and say, "Now Tom, would you please fetch Eleanor?"

Tom glared at the old man. He was still convinced that Dumbledore must be a doctor from the local hospital, sent by Ms. Cole to examine him. Tom said sharply, "What do you want with Eleanor?"

"Never mind, it seems as if Ms. Cole has managed to get her," Dumbledore said calmly. A few seconds later, the door creaked open. Eleanor walked in softly, staring down at the ground. She never did like to meet new people who were older than her; it made her feel as if all older people automatically held authority over her. Ms. Cole closed the door as she left.

"Hello Eleanor. Would you like to sit down? You look quite pale."

"She isn't feeling well," Tom blurted out.

Dumbledore looked over at Tom. It was obvious he thought it was odd for Tom to speak for Eleanor while she was in the same room. Instead of taking the chair Dumbledore had offered her, she sat down on the bed next to Tom. She smiled faintly as she stared at Dumbledore, seemingly sizing him up. Finally, she said, "It's not quite as terrible as Tom always makes it out to be."

"Who are you?" Riddle asked warily.

"I have told you. My name is Professor Dumbledore and I work at a school called Hogwarts. I have come to offer you both a place at my school – your new school, if you would like to come."

Riddle's reaction to this was most surprising. He leapt from the bed and backed away from Dumbledore, looking furious. "You can't kid me! The asylum, that's where you're from, isn't it? Well, I'm not going, see? That old cat's the one who should be in the asylum. I never did anything to little Amy Benson or Dennis Bishop, and you can ask them, they'll tell you!"

"I am not from the asylum," said Dumbledore patiently. "I am a teacher and, if you will sit down calmly, I shall tell you about Hogwarts. Of course, if you would rather not come to the school, nobody will force you -"

"I'd like to see them try," sneered Riddle.

Eleanor looked on calmly through the entire event, sitting like a little porcelain doll on the bed. She suddenly spoke up softly, "Tom, sit down."

Riddle's leer dropped right away. He looked at Eleanor before sitting on the bed next to her.

"Hogwarts," Dumbledore went on, "is a school for people with special abilities."

"I am not mad, and neither is Eleanor!"

"I know that neither of you are mad. Hogwarts is a school of magic."

There was silence. Riddle had frozen, his face expressionless, but his eyes were flickering back and forth between each of Dumbledore's, as if trying to catch one of them lying.

"Magic?" Eleanor asked in a whisper.

"That's right," said Dumbledore.

"It's magic? What Tom can do? What I can do?"

"What is it that you can do?"

"Just little things. Sometimes, if I want something to move...it moves by itself. And I can get people to say things if I just think about it hard enough," Eleanor says.

"How about you Tom?"

"I can make things move without touching them. I can make animals do what I want them to do, without training them. I can make bad things happen to people who annoy me. I can make them hurt if I went to."

"Tom, I told you not to..." Eleanor cuts herself off, suddenly looking away.

"I knew we were different," Tom whispered in a quivering voice. "I knew we were special. Always, I knew there was something."

"Well, you were quite right," said Dumbledore, who was no longer smiling, but watching Riddle intently. "You are a wizard, and Eleanor is a witch."

Dumbledore had noticed the differences between Eleanor and Tom right away. Tom had been aggressive and loud, while Eleanor was introverted and quite. Tom was tall and slender. Eleanor was short and was already developing the curved figure of a women. When talking about magic, Tom had proudly listed off the things he could do. Eleanor had hesitated before providing a short list of things that could be easily mistaken for mere coincidence instead of magic.

"Are you a wizard too?" Eleanor asked curiously.

"Yes, I am," said Dumbledore.

"Prove it," said Riddle at once, in the same commanding tone he had used before.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, "If, as I take it, you are accepting your place at Hogwarts -"

"Of course I am! And so is Eleanor!" Tom said, using his commanding tone again.

"Then you will address me as 'Professor' or 'sir'."

Riddle's expression hardened for the most fleeting moment before he said, in an unrecognizably polite voice, "I'm sorry, sir. I meant – please, Professor, could you show me?"

The wardrobe burst to flames. Riddle jumped to his feet, but then the flames vanished, leaving the wardrobe undamaged. A moment later, there were two knocks on the door before it opened once again. Ms. Cole stood in the doorway and said, "Eleanor, time for you to take your medicine."

Eleanor stands up without a word. Dumbledore sees her and Tom exchange a look.

"Now, Riddle, I think there is something trying to get out of your wardrobe."

Riddle hesitated, then crossed the room and threw open the wardrobe door. On the topmost shelf, above a rail of threadbare clothes, a small cardboard box was shaking and rattling as though there were several frantic mice trapped inside it.

"Take it out," said Dumbledore.

Riddle took down the quaking box. He looked unnerved.

"Is there anything in that box that you ought not to have?" asked Dumbledore.

Riddle threw Dumbledore a long, clear, calculating look. "Yes, I suppose so, sir," he said finally in an expressionless voice.

"Open it," said Dumbledore.

Riddle took the lid off and tipped the contents onto his bed without looking at them. It was a mess of small, everyday objects: a yo-yo, a silver thimble, and a tarnished mouth organ. Once free of the box, they stopped quivering and lay quite still upon the thin blankets.

"You will return them to their owners with your apologies," said Dumbledore calmly, putting his wand back into his jacket. "I shall know whether it has been done. And be warned: Thieving is not tolerated at Hogwarts."

"Yes sir, but you see, I didn't really want them. It was just that...well, the older children can be mean to Eleanor and I can't just let them get away with it...she can't take care of herself, you know. She's too weak. She gets sick nearly every week."

"Regardless of why you took them, you will return them."

At last Riddle said in a colorless voice, "Yes, sir."

"At Hogwarts, we teach you not only to use magic but to control it. You have – inadvertently, I am sure - been using your powers in a way that is neither taught nor tolerated at our school. You are not the first, nor will you be the last, to allow your magic to run away with you. But you should know that Hogwarts can expel students, and the Ministry of Magic – yes, there is a Ministry – will punish lawbreakers still more severely. All new wizards must accept that, in entering our world, they abide by our laws. I trust you will tell Eleanor that as well."

"Yes, sir," said Riddle again, "I haven't got any money."

"That is easily remedied," said Dumbledore, drawing a leather money-pouch from his pocket, "There is a fund at Hogwarts for those who require assistance to buy books and robes."

"Where do you buy spellbooks?"

"In Diagon Alley. I have your list of books and school equipment with me. I can help you find everything -"

"You're coming with me?" said Riddle, looking up.

"Certainly, if you -"

"I don't need you," said Riddle, "I'm used to doing things by myself. Eleanor and I go round London on our own all the time. How do you get to this Diagon Alley sir?"

Dumbledore handed Riddle the envelope containing his list of equipment, and after telling Riddle exactly how to get to the Leaky Cauldron from the orphanage, he said, "You will be able to see it, although Muggles around you – non-magical people, that is – will not. Ask for Tom the barman – easy enough to remember, as he shares your name -"

Riddle gave an irritable twitch.

"You dislike the name 'Tom'?" asked Dumbledore.

"There are a lot of Toms," muttered Riddle. "Was my father a wizard? He was called Tom Riddle too, they've told me."

"I'm afraid I don't know."

"My mother can't have been magic, or she wouldn't have died. So when we've got all our stuff, when do we come to this Hogwarts?"

"All the details are on the second piece of parchment in your envelope. Good-bye Tom. I shall see you at Hogwarts."

Tom remained quite as he ripped open the envelope.

Dumbledore found Ms. Cole in her office again and asked her to lead him up to Eleanor's room. Ms. Cole didn't bother knocking on the door, instead she just opened it. Eleanor was standing in front of her desk, staring down at a few tablets.

"Eleanor, you know Tom will be waiting for you and I can't let you go out until you've drank those," said Ms. Cole

"But Ms. Cole, I don't even feel that bad anymore," Eleanor whined.

"The doctor said you had to finish the whole bottle." Ms. Cole says before walking away. Dumbledore walked in, closing the door behind him. He looked around the room. It looked much more personalized than Tom's room. On one side of the room, there was a carved french armoire with it's doors spread open, revealing a row of brightly colored dresses. Next to the armoire was a bookshelf, stuffed full of books and boxes. On the other side of the room, there's a dark wooden desk with a few papers stacked on top, a black chair, and a nicely made bed with purple and silver covers. The walls are decorated with white wallpaper with black flowers on it.

Eleanor offers the chair to Dumbledore and then sits on her own bed before saying, "I had pneumonia. I was in the hospital for a few days. That's why Tom was so worried about me. I'm sorry about his outburst...he doesn't like being around other people, you see."

"It's fine. Eleanor, I was wondering if you wanted to attend Hogwarts."

She blushed as she looked down, "Well...of course...Tom said I would."

"I am not asking you if you will attend Hogwarts. I am asking you if you want to attend Hogwarts. I believe that wishing to do something and actually doing it are not necessarily connected."

She stayed silent for a minute before turning to stare out of the window behind her. Dumbledore saw the pained look on Eleanor's face when she said, "I...I don't want to be odd. The other children...they don't like Tom because he's odd. What if they learn I'm odd too and don't like me?"

"You won't be odd at Hogwarts Eleanor. There you will meet hundreds of children just like you."

"The other children at Hogwarts will make fun of me too, for being an orphan and being poor. That's always how it is. Tom and I don't fit in anywhere."

He pauses as he pulls a picture out of his pocket and hands it to her, "That's a picture of your parents when they were at Hogwarts. They were both magical too Eleanor. You are part of one of the strongest magical bloodlines in existence. I hope that you will not let that bloodline die out simply because you wish to be liked."

"Sometimes, when I walk past a garden, the flowers die. It's like I'm toxic. I don't want to hurt people with my magic."

"At Hogwarts, you will learn how to control you're magic. You do want to learn, don't you?"

She nodded absentmindedly, "I would like that. Learning to control it I mean. But I don't know if I can. My magic isn't as good as Tom's – maybe I'm not meant to be a witch."

"Eleanor, I knew your father. He was a great wizard. Top of our class at Hogwarts. I was at your parent's wedding. If there was ever a girl destined to be a witch, it was you."

She suddenly nodded and turned back to him. A look of complete resolve showed on her face as she said, "I'm going to Hogwarts."

Dumbledore did not ask the reason for her sudden determination, though he suspected it had something to do with the idea of making her parents proud. He simply handed her the envelope, "That has your acceptance letter and list of supplies in it. It also has a key to a Gringotts vault which holds your family's fortune. As the sole decedent of two very old bloodlines, you will find that you have quiet a lot of galleons to spend – enough for several lifetimes in fact. You will also find, contained in that vault, the keys to your family home outside of London. I am afraid you must not enter the home until you become of age. Never the less, I am sure you will never worry about being seen as poor again."

"Why do you keep mentioning my bloodline?"

"You must remember this, Ms. Joubert. The entire wizarding world will recognize you by last name alone. Pureblood witches of such a famed lineage as yours are very rare. You, unlike Tom, will find it very easy to gain the acceptance of your peers. Your name will earn you great respect from some – but you must not mistake their attentions for affection. Names are a matter of consequence in the wizarding world, especially among those, like you, who are able to trace their pure name back for centuries. But I firmly believe that the name does not make the person."

She nodded before saying, "What is Gringotts?"

"You will find Gringotts, the wizarding bank, located in Diagon Alley, the same place you will go to buy school supplies. There is a map to Diagon Alley enclosed in your envelope, in case Tom has forgotten the directions I gave him. There is also a letter that you're parents wrote on the day you were born. I believe it will contain all the information you need to know about your dynasty."

Dumbledore stood before taking one last look around the room. He noticed for the first time that everything in the room was impeccably clean; the bed was made, papers on the desk were neatly stacked, the bookshelf was dusted, the dresses were spotless, the floors were shining...and yet, Eleanor's hands looked like they hadn't done an ounce of work in her whole life, her nails trimmed and her skin soft.

As Ms. Cole walked Dumbledore toward the front door of the orphanage, she began rambling, "Tom's a real troublemaker, but Eleanor...she has a talent for convincing the other children to do things for her. Some of the younger girls, they wash her clothes and change her bedsheets and tidy her room every few days. I'm not quite sure how she got them to do it honestly. She hardly speaks to anyone but Tom anymore..."

"It was nice meeting you Ms. Cole. If I need anything further, I will send you a letter," Dumbledore said politely while he shook her hand.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Another reason that this chapter took so long (it usually only takes me two or three days to write one, this chapter took me about nine days) is that I have had a bad case of writer's block. I can't add to any of my stories, whether it be original fiction or fanfic. On this one in particular, I am stuck with which direction to take the story in. I did have some future chapters written up already, but was thinking of changing the direction the story will take once Tom and Eleanor arrive at Hogwarts._

_**So I have one very important question for my readers: Should Eleanor be sorted into Gryfindor or Slytherin? **I won't tell you what option I based the few chapters I already have written on, but I suspect you may be able to tell what house I was going to put her in from my characterization of Eleanor in this chapter. I would really love opinions, so please personal message me or (even better) review!_

_**Please review, and I promise it will make me write a lot faster/better! I would love any ideas/recommendations/critiques.**_


	4. A Place to Belong

Eleanor watched Tom walking toward Diagon Alley with a smirk on his face. She, on the other hand, lagged behind him a little and looked impassive. He walked with purpose, his stony face set on the street signs so that he would know where to turn. She walked uncertainly, dragging her feet and staring down at the ground. She found her way simply by following Tom's steps, careful not to look up at anybody.

After learning all the news yesterday, she didn't want to speak. She didn't want to think. She simply wanted to be. She didn't want to care that she was an odd child, or be afraid of hurting people, or feel like she would be rejected when she arrived at Hogwarts. The reassured feeling that sprung from Dumbledore's words had only lasted a few hours before she had begun to question her choice again. How could she know what she wanted to do with her life; if she wanted to be magical? She was still only ten years old.

She felt almost ashamed at her inability to make up her mind; it had been so easy for Tom. But Tom was strong – he had never been one to linger when making decisions – and she was still weak. She still felt the lose of her parents as strongly as she did on the first day that she realized they would never be able to pick her up and bring her back home.

"Aren't you excited?" Tom suddenly asked, stopping for a second so she could catch up to him. He caught her hand and began to hold it as they walked; an old habit from when they were younger.

She tugged her hand away, "Of course I am. It's just noisy out here."

"You know, I'd usually hate going out, but I think it's worth it for this. See, I told you we weren't that odd Eleanor," Tom took her hand back in his, tightening his grip so she couldn't pull away.

* * *

><p>Eleanor held her breath as the sorting hat was placed on her head.<p>

_Oh, poor child, you know tragedy, don't you? And yet you don't react. Is it out of heartlessness or sensitivity? Now, let me see...too mean to be a Hufflepuff of course. Words can hurt more than spells sometimes, my dear. Gryfindor perhaps? Oh, no, you didn't react well to that suggestion. Why not? I see bravery in you. Oh...now I know...follow my advice, you're too intelligent to let someone command you. Anyway...very smart. You like to read. Perhaps Ravenclaw? Oh...wait, what do I see now? Ordering others around too? Ravenclaws are all about academics...and I'm afraid that you seem not to be. Only one left now, Slytherin. Let's see... Ambitious, check. Cunning, check. Shrewd...sometimes. A leader...in some ways. Goal-oriented...definitely. And you seem to have a particular talent for breaking rules. That alone would cement the decision._

"Slytherin!" The hat roared. She stood regally as it was raised from her head, and then walked over to the far table that was cheering for her. Well, she did like green. Perhaps this wouldn't be too bad. She'd honestly wanted to be in Ravenclaw, but she wasn't so partial that she really cared.

She caught Tom's eye as he walked up to go next. The hat seemed to frown as it sat on his head.

_I'm not quite sure what to think...much potential, but your direction could change with each house. What a sharp mind. I sense that you wish to learn all you can about magic. Perhaps Ravenclaw would suit you well. What is it that your thinking? Ahh...you want to be in Slytherin. To be with that girl. I will warn you boy, that Slytherin may take you down a dark path. You don't seem to care. Well, if you wish to place your fate in your own hands. Are you accepting the consequences then? Yes...I will give you what you wish, with one last warning. Where power rules, there can be no lasting love._

Tom simply nodded his head and the hat yelled out, "Slytherin!"

He walked over and sat next to Eleanor, a smirk on his face.

* * *

><p>"Jouteur!" Eleanor turned as she heard the random voice yelling her name. She was confused because she had assumed that no one had bothered to learn her name yet, after all it was only their first day of classes and she'd hardly spoken at all. She was exhausted simply from walking around the castle all day, so the unwelcome voice suddenly calling her back when she was almost to the safety of the Slytherin Common Room was a bother to say the least.<p>

She turned, trying to resist rolling her eyes as she saw a blond-haired boy approaching her. From the look of concentration on his face, she assumed he had been the one to call her name. Feeling awkward under the stare, she turned her head slightly to look at Tom and see him glaring at the boy. Tom never did like when she made new friends – she sympathized with him, because he had always been the odd one out and, unlike her, didn't find it easy to approach new people. She understood why he would be afraid that she, the only real friend he had ever had, would leave him; they were both orphans and knew the crippling feeling of losing someone that mattered to them.

The blonde boy was finally in front of her. As she stared up at him, not wanting to be the first to back down, she noticed that he was quite handsome – as handsome as an eleven year old could be. His pale hair hung freely from his head, half covering one eye. He was dressed sharply, his tie sitting neatly on his shirt as if he was an expert in dressing formally. He was tall, taler than Tom even, but used his long legs well, his intimidating walk instantly making everyone get out of his way. His gray eyes were unlike any others she had ever seen.

He suddenly smirked as if he had all the confidence in the world, "Abraxas Malfoy. Just so you know, you are going to be my potions partner."

Eleanor glanced out of the corner of her eye at Tom, noticing that he'd tensed up and was curling his hand into a fist. Pretending nothing was out of the ordinary, she gave Abraxas a small smile before saying, "And how do you know that? Have you talked to the teacher already? According to my schedule, we don't have that class until tomorrow."

Malfoy's smirk faltered for a second, "No, I simply came to the conclusion that I wanted you to be my partner."

"And it never occurred to you that you ought to perhaps ask me if I already had a partner before you went around picking me, a perfect stranger, as your potions partner?" She said snidely.

"Well, I figured it would be good for us to get to know each other. Our mothers were good friends, you know, before the accident. And after she heard from Headmaster Dippet that you would be in the same year as me, she suggested that we become acquainted with each other," Malfoy explained calmly, pretending not to have noticed her tone.

She put on a fake smile, "Well perhaps we can get acquainted with each other during another class, as I've already got a potions partner."

Abraxas suddenly turned his head, as if he'd noticed Tom for the first time, "Is this him then? You could do better, Ms. Jouteur."

Tom glared at him before grabbing Eleanor's hand and pulling her along with him toward the common room. She was blushing at Malfoy's comment. They retreated to an empty corner of the common room and set up their books to start their first homework assignment. But of course, being a Malfoy, Abraxas wouldn't simply leave it at that. A few minutes after she'd started on her Charms essay, he suddenly plopped down on the couch next to her. As she and Tom, who was sitting across from her in an armchair, had been focusing on their writing, both of them looked up in surprise at the noise.

"So, Jouteur, how about you sit next to me in Charms instead? The ancient professor is so blind and deaf that we can talk through the class and he wouldn't even notice," Malfoy said, ignoring the fact that she very obviously wanted to continue on with her essay.

She smirked, "I'd actually prefer to learn, but thanks for the offer."

"How about astronomy? We'll have plenty of time to talk while we sit outside drawing star charts."

"I don't know you well enough to trust you in that class. We're both Slytherins – for all I know you could just be planning to push me off the astronomy tower."

He chuckled, "Defense Against the Dark Arts? I seem to aggravate you enough that you would enjoy throwing curses at me."

"And, once again, you are a Slytherin – what if you're just going to stun me or something?"

"Herbology? That can't be dangerous," He replied smoothly.

"Plants seem to die at my very touch, so if you are at all interested in getting good marks you may not want me as a partner in that class."

"History of Magic? Lecture's useless in that class – it's all about the outside reading, so you won't have to worry about me distracting you."

"In that case, I would be doing my reading during class and couldn't be distracted from that either."

"Transfiguration?"

"Dumbledore's class? I really don't need to give _him_ a reason to dislike me."

"Potions it is then," He declared triumphantly.

"I thought I already gave you my thoughts on that," She said, with an obviously annoyed smile.

"Seeing as it's the only class left, I'm afraid you'll simply have to get used to having me as a potions partner," He said with a dazzling smile.

She smirked, "Or – this is such a brilliant idea that you may want to brace yourself – you could go and find yourself another partner! I know that you probably didn't realize that there are about 15 other Slytherin first-years, so you should thank me for informing you of such."

"I already knew that," he said, his smirk falling as he realized she had just insulted his intelligence.

"Good. Then why don't you just scamper off and find one who hasn't already picked a partner," She said sharply before looking back at her essay and fully expecting him to leave.

"Problem is, I've already settled on the idea that you're going to be my potions partner. And I am quite stubborn once I've settled on something, so I'm afraid there will be no possible way for you to dissuade me."

"I am also quite stubborn, and I've already settled on the idea that you are _not_ going to be my potions partner, so it would be just wonderful if you could leave," She said with a slight smile.

"But I don't want to leave," He declared, leaning closer to her.

"She said to leave," Tom ordered, his icy glare directed straight at Abraxas.

"What made you think you can speak to me?" Abraxas said, glaring back at him.

"Malfoy, leave," She ordered, knowing this would not end well for any of them if he didn't. It was very likely that Tom would find a way of hurting Abraxas if he dared to stay, and she definitely didn't want her only real friend suspended from school after just two days. Abraxas stood and walked away, still glowering at Tom.

"He's going to regret talking to you," Tom muttered as he turned back to his essay.

She blushed, "Just leave him alone. He's just a silly boy – he didn't know."

"Did you hear what he said to me?" Tom said coldly.

"He was just angry that you'd -" She started.

He interrupted her, "Why are you defending him? Do you actually like that prat?"

She knew better than to reply. He would only get more suspicious. She turned back to her essay and they wrote in silence for an hour, until both of them had finished. Since the Charms essay was their only assignment that day, Eleanor excused herself to her room. She lay on the bed and reflected on the day.

* * *

><p>"Hello class! Welcome to your first day of potions. Hopefully this will the first of many, many years that we will spend together. We will start brewing a potion right away. Do not fear for it is very simple – pepperup potion. Please find a partner and sit next to them, then open your books to page 23," Slughorn bellowed as he paced around the front of the classroom. Tom and Eleanor both simply opened their books, not bothering to move even though all the other students were stumbling around the classroom.<p>

"Ah, Ms -" Slughorn began, walking up to the table that Tom and Eleanor shared.

"Jouteur, sir," She said, trying not to panic.

"I notice that you didn't move."

"No sir. Tom's my partner."

He smiled fondly, "It's all well and good to have friends before entering Hogwarts – however, as you are a first year and will be spending seven years here, I would think you should consider branching out. I suggest that the first step you take to finding new friends is to find new partners in your classes."

She blushed and looked down at the table.

Slughorn looked up, scanning the room, "Ah, Abraxas my boy, surely you wouldn't mind helping Ms. Jouteur?"

Abraxas smirked, "No professor, I wouldn't mind at all."

Slughorn motioned for Eleanor to move. She grabbed her stuff and walked over to the seat next to Malfoy, which was vacated as his partner, a girl with similar blonde hair, moved to sit next to Tom. Eleanor didn't neglect to make a very loud "Hmph" sound as she sat down, obviously signaling her unhappiness.

"I think your little friend will enjoy working with my cousin Lucretia. She's apparently quite the beauty already."

Eleanor laughed. When Malfoy stared at her, she explained, "I simply am not used to people finding their cousin's pretty."

If possible, he became even more pale. Malfoy muttered, "I _do not_ find my cousin attractive."

She smiled innocently, "But you just said she was quite the beauty."

"According to others," He interjected.

"Sure, sure," She said dismissively before beginning to prepare the potion.

By breakfast the next day, everyone was gossiping about how Abraxas Malfoy's owl had inexplicably gone missing. Eleanor raised an eyebrow at Tom when she heard the news. He simply smirked before continuing to eat.

When they were walking through the halls alone later, she asked, "What did you do to Malfoy's owl?"

Tom's smirk came back, "Nothing. I just set the poor thing free from it's highly annoying master."

"Tom, this isn't like at the orphanage," She says seriously, "Everyone can do magic here – someone may decide they want revenge on you if you keep going on about this. And besides, if you get caught, you know what Dumbledore told you would happen."

"They're not going to expel me because an owl flew away. And what's Malfoy going to do about it if he finds out? Annoy me to death with his incessant talking?"

She was taken aback by how sure-of-himself Tom sounded. "Well, it isn't as if doing anything to Malfoy is going to get rid of him anyway. Slughorn's stuck us together as potions partners, so I won't be able to get away from him all year. I'll just deal with his cockiness."

Tom grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn and face him suddenly, "You wouldn't be bringing this up because you like him, would you?"

She nearly stumbled into him. When she regained her footing, she mumbled, "Well, he isn't nearly as awful as he gave off the impression of being when we first met him. He can be quite funny sometimes and he's pretty intelligent."

"You aren't considering being friends with him, are you?" Tom said, his eyes narrowing. She felt his grip on her arm tightening to the point of beginning to cause bruises.

"It can't be that bad, making new friends."

"No Eleanor." He commanded.

"No what?"

"You will not be friends with Malfoy."

"Why not?" She asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

"He's annoying."

"Well, can I be friends with Lucretia then? She seems a bit more quiet than he is, and she's in my dorm so it's awkward just walking around her without saying anything everyday."

He glared at her, "Why do you want to be friends with them? You barely even know them!"

"Well, that's the point of being friends with someone, so you can get to know them better."

"You will not -"

She shook her head at him before whispering in a deadly tone, "You will not order me around Tom. I can be friends with other people. You can't scare them away here – they're just like you. Maybe your just jealous because you haven't made any new friends yet."

He grabbed her other arm, pulling her more fiercely towards him, "Don't you dare make me angry Eleanor."

Her eyes become wide as she felt his hands gripping her forearms so hard that she was almost sure her blood circulation would be cut off. At that exact moment, Abraxas Malfoy rounded the corner. He had his usual confident stride, as if it didn't faze him at all that his owl had simply disappeared. He stopped as soon as he saw them, his face looking confused as he said, "What's going on here?"

Eleanor searched for words in her mind, for some kind of excuse, but she couldn't come up with anything. Tom didn't even seem to care about the interruption, he was still squeezing her arms and staring icily into her eyes. Abraxas took in the scene, noticing the look of pain on Eleanor's face. Suddenly something clicked and he just knew he had to get them both away from there as quickly as possible. He strode up and weaved his arm through Eleanor's, their elbows touching.

"Let's go Eleanor. We're nearly late to History of Magic."

Tom let go of her as his attention shifted to Malfoy. As soon as she was able to move, Malfoy started walking her towards the staircases as quickly as possible. Tom glared after them before following slowly behind. They weren't nearly late; History of Magic started in 10 minutes and they were only one floor away. By the time Tom arrived in the classroom, Eleanor was already sitting in between Abraxas and Lucretia.

Abraxas had guided her there on purpose, hoping to keep her away from Riddle for at least one class. He'd noticed they seemed to spend an odd amount of time together and that they rarely talked in public where anyone could hear. It wasn't odd to see them standing in the corner, having some secret conversation, or whispering to each other during class. Then again, it wasn't odd to see them sitting in the common room doing homework together and not talking for an hour, or walking through the school without a word to each other about where they were going. For some reason, he felt an odd vibe off them when they were together – it was the only time he stopped bothering Eleanor. He still wanted to be 'friends' with Eleanor, and had therefore resorted to throwing notes at her during class or bothering her during potions.

Tom walked past their row of seats. Abraxas noticed him staring at Eleanor and glared back at him. She suddenly shifted in her chair and picked up her books before saying, "I have to..."

Malfoy cut her off, "You finished you're essay, right?"

Just as she started to respond, the professor walked in. Since she couldn't exactly get up and walk over to Tom right now, despite the fact that he was glaring over at them, she sighed and put her things down.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I just had to insert a Malfoy into this story! The next chapter will feature a significant time skip, as the main action happens when Tom and Eleanor are older. Please review.


	5. Reflection vs Reality

It's the summer after third year, and Tom is sitting on his bed in the orphanage reading a few spell books. He's discovered something very interesting about the ministry's age restrictions – they don't account for nonverbal spells. He supposes that it's because most of these spells are harmless little things done by children before they know about their powers. No matter the reason, he's now determined to learn to do even more spells nonverbally- he's already got the Full Body Bind curse and a few other curses down.

After about thirty minutes of reading, it suddenly occurs to him that he hasn't seen Eleanor at all yet that day, and it's already noon. He resolves to go find her and see what she's doing; she's been distracted ever since they came back from Hogwarts, and he's seen her less and less as the days pass by. She isn't in her room, so he grudgingly goes down to ask Ms. Cole where she's went. All Ms. Cole can tell him is that she left about ten minutes ago looking very pretty, so she can't possibly be wandering around in the park like usual.

Tom checks a few of her regular places in the city before it occurs to him that she's probably gone to her favorite cafe to write some more stories in that silly little journal of hers. He remembers going with her once, at the very beginning of the summer, but after he'd said something to Eleanor about how her writing was a waste of time, she hadn't asked him to come with her again. She'd usually go down every Monday and Friday as far as he knew; at least those were the days that she dropped by to tell him where she was going.

So Tom headed on his way, hoping he remembered the path, nervously shaking the muggle money he had in his pocket. The orphanage gave all of the children a little spending money every month, though Tom usually found it useless except for during his excursions into London with Eleanor. As he walked up to the cafe, he noticed Eleanor sitting inside at the bar. Odd, she usually liked sitting in the sunny tables outside better when she was writing.

When he got closer, Tom realized that, though Eleanor's journal sits on the bar in front of her, Eleanor wasn't writing anything. Instead, she was talking to the waiter standing at the bar. Then, as Tom finally crossed the threshold of the cafe's door, he realized that Eleanor's hands, clasped together on the bar, were joined with the boys hands. The boy looked to be a few years older than them, perhaps 15 or 16, and Italian. His upper body was sculpted and toned, unlike Tom's lanky figure. His eyes were a green that reminded one of grass, unlike Tom's murky eyes. His hair was black like Tom's, but not as dark nor as carefully combed as Tom's was. There was a smile on his face and his skin shone with a tan, unlike Tom's frowning and pallid face.

Tom instantly felt a pang of something more than just jealousy; some resentment at knowing that she was attracted to someone who didn't resemble Tom in even the slightest way, who was so opposite Tom that they could not have had anything in common but their existence at that same cafe at that same point in time. At that moment, Tom was convinced that she would never look at him with the kind of attraction that she stared at the better-looking stranger with.

He sat down at a table at the corner and watched them. Another waiter took his order, but Tom didn't touch the cup of coffee in front of him. He just waited, as the lunchtime crowds wained until the cafe was nearly empty. Finally, Eleanor looked up at the clock and decided it was time for her to leave. In the silent cafe, now empty except for Tom, Eleanor, and the waiter, Tom heard them making plans for dinner. Before she left, she kissed the boy on the check. She never even looked off to the corner, where Tom sat hiding his face in a menu so that she wouldn't recognize him.

Once Eleanor was out of the door, the boy at the bar turned to Tom. He yelled across the room, "Would you like anything else?"

Tom stood, smirking as he walked toward the bar, "As a matter of fact, I would."

He would very much like to kill this stupid muggle boy.

* * *

><p>When Tom arrived back at the orphanage about an hour later, Eleanor was waiting for him in his room.<p>

"Where did you go off to? Ms. Cole told me you were looking for me." Eleanor asks curiously, looking down at her hair as she curls it around her fingers absentmindedly.

"I just took a short walk outside," Tom lied, "What have you been up to today?"

"Oh, nothing interesting. Wasting my time writing my stupid little stories again." Eleanor said, a bit of anger in her tone.

"Let me read them," Tom said, hoping to appease her. Perhaps if he was nicer to her about the silly things she likes, she would not find the need to run off with random muggle boys anymore.

"I can tell you aren't really interested Tom. It's fine. You don't have to like everything I do, now do you? By the way, it is summer break. You ought to stop reading these dull schoolbooks," She teases.

"And what am I to do instead, Eleanor?"

She's smirks as she says, "Run around being wild like me!"

"And get my clothes dirty? No thank you. How about you stay inside with me instead?"

"Oh Tom, sometimes you can be so dull. There are always new things to do, new people to meet. We're young now! We should be constantly having fun." Eleanor exclaims in her trademark fashion.

"Well, what you call fun, most people call dangerous." Tom retorts.

She sighs and stands up, "Then you can have your bed back and began reading again. I'm going to go do some more of those dangerous things – you know, some people call that living."

"I'm alive enough right now. You're going out again? What about dinner?"

"Oh, don't worry about me Tom. I'll be fine."

"I'm sure. Just as fine as you were last summer, when you fell from that tree." He replies sarcastically as he stretches out on his bed again and watches her shut the door as she leaves.

* * *

><p>After dinner, she comes back to the orphanage. She doesn't say a word to anyone, not even Tom, on her way to her room. He gets up and follows her; once he opens her bedroom door, he sees her crying.<p>

He closes the door and pulls her into a hug before whispering, "What happened?"

She tries wiping her eyes, but the tears continue to flow. Finally, she manages to choke out, "Nothing."

Tom doesn't say anything while he holds her. A few minutes after she finally stops crying, she tells Tom she'll be fine and she's just going to bed. He leaves, his stomach dropping as he feels like she doesn't want him there to comfort her. Around 10, a thunderstorm begins. Tom gets up and open his door, knowing that she'll probably be coming in a few minutes. He gets into bed and pretends to be trying to fall asleep. Thunderstorms always remind her of the day her parents died.

Sure enough, he hears her soft footsteps entering his room soon. He rolls over and looks up before making space for her in the bed, as if he didn't know ahead of time that she would be coming. She curls up near him in the tiny bed, but makes sure their bodies aren't touching. As Tom gets up, she says, "I don't want the door closed Tom."

"I have to Ella. The younger children will gossip." He replies calmly. When he returns, he notices she's started crying again. He puts his arms around her and pulls her closer to his body before asking, "What's wrong?"

"I must be really ugly." She replies angrily.

"You're not Ella. You're like a porcelain doll. You're perfect." Tom whispers, kissing her forehead.

"Then it must be my personality. I must be awfully boring or something."

Tom actually chuckles, "You? Boring? Never. Ella, what happened?"

"I met this guy..."

Of course, Tom knows the whole story, but he pretends not to. After all, he wouldn't want to give it away to her that the reason her date had never shown up to dinner had been because he'd scared her date senseless with some harmless magic tricks, then spiked his drink with a sleep potion and cast a full body bind curse on him. So, Tom asks, "Wizard or..."

Ella knows what he's going to ask right away, so she says, "Muggle. I thought he really liked me but then we were supposed to have dinner tonight tonight and he never showed up...maybe it was because I wouldn't let him kiss me when he tried to yesterday. He probably thought I was a prude."

"Eleanor, you should never cry over some boy who was too stupid to realize how amazing you were. Just forget about it. He's a muggle anyway, he couldn't have understood you." _Not like I can understand you_, Tom wanted to add, but left out in case it scared her off.

Eleanor nods, but her tears don't stop. Tom flips on top of her, supporting his weight on his elbows.

"What are you doing?" She asks, her eyes as wide.

"Getting rid of your tears," Tom whispers before leaning his head down and kissing her cheek, kissing away the tear that was trailing down it. He continues, periodically switching sides, until she's stopped crying. He places one last kiss on her forehead before looking down at her. She's smiling up at him. Content, he returns to his side and wraps her up in his arms again so that they can go to sleep.

"Tom, thank you." She whispers. He doesn't say anything back as they go to sleep.

There were two more muggle boys that summer, both of which he scares off the second he finds out about them. After the third, Tom spends nearly every waking minute with her so that she won't have time to find another boy to start liking who was the exact opposite of him. That was what angered him most, not the fact that she was spending time with someone else. All of the boys she chose to like were tan, strong, smiling. And there was Tom, pale, lanky, sneering. He began to hate his own reflection.

* * *

><p>He was angry at her for talking about some muggle boy. In fact, he'd pushed her against the headboard of his bed, his fingertips bruising her arms, whispering to her menacingly that he would let go of her when she kissed him. He knew very well it would be her first kiss, which had been part of her objections, but he'd just kept pushing her.<p>

When she refused again, she felt his fingertips burning her skin and cried out in pain, but she was still shaking her head no. He tries threatening her next, telling her that if she doesn't kiss him right then that the first boy she does kiss is going to have a very bad accident. She'd kept shaking her head, keeping her mouth shut adamantly. His grip on her arms tightens. He tells her to kiss him one last time. She shakes her head no.

He shoves her and captures her lips with his, pressing her back against the headboard _hard_, his lips bruising hers. She tries to pull away, but he pushes forward against her, his chest putting so much pressure against hers that she has to gasp for air. When she does, his tongue invades her mouth too, forcing himself even closer to her.

When he finally pulls away after what to her feels like forever, a few tears slip from her eyes. He just stole her first kiss. She would never have a nice first kiss with a boy who she was attracted to.

"Stop crying, or I'll do it again and again until you stop," Tom said coldly.

She tried to wipe away the tears, but new ones kept replacing them. Before she could say anything, he leant over again and pressed his lips to hers for a few seconds.

"Stop," He ordered as he pulled away. She got up to leave, but he grabbed her arm again. She paled at his touch. "Stay here."

She held back the tears that still wanted to flow down her cheeks as she sat back on the bed. He pulled her to him, ignoring her grimace. Her back touches his chest as he lifts up his book with his left hand and begins reading again. His right hand wraps around her waist. She tries to squirm away.

"Stop." He orders her, "And get that awful expression off your face."

When she doesn't do as he says, his lips meet her neck. She speaks up suddenly, "Tom, please don't..."

"Just because you asked, I'm going to do it to both sides of your neck," He whispers, his lips touching down again only a second later. A few minutes of sucking and biting and he can already see the sides of her neck turning red. He knows that in a few hours, the marks he left will be so obvious they'll be like an icon to any guy who looks at her twice indicating that she's already taken.

She hates when he does this for just that reason; it always has everyone staring at her as if she's some kind of freak. And she sees the questions in people's eyes about it; knowing they're also just too afraid to say anything. She thinks about the fact that Hogwarts is in a week and hopes it will be gone by then.

* * *

><p>"Eleanor!" Tom yelled as he wandered toward her room. He leaned against the doorway as he watched her fixing her dress in the mirror, "We're going to be late for the train to school."<p>

"I'll be ready in a minute," She calls back, reaching into her closet for a coat. She puts it on before staring in the mirror again. Tom understands the look in her eyes, so he walks forward and stands behind her, his eyes meeting hers in the mirror.

"You look fine," he says softly.

She shakes her head. Despite his reassurances, she hasn't stopped believing that she's ugly, which is why no one will ever go on a second date with her. She's changed a lot over the summer. He looked at her now, her mahogany hair falling in loose waves over her shoulder, her large, dark brown eyes staring at the dress on her body, which, being tight, showed the growth of her breasts, slimming of her waist, and defining of her hips that had happened over the summer. She was an inch or two taller than she had been before, but still only roughly 5'4, which Tom thought fit perfectly with his 6'0 frame. He was still skinny, but she was smaller, like a pixy with her slight frame.

"I don't like this dress," She says, looking down as she pulls at the fabric.

"I like it," He whispers, kissing her head absentmindedly.

She looks uncomfortable. He brings his arms around her fully as he sees her reaction to his kiss, wanting to show her that she shouldn't move away from him. Instead, she squirms and reaches down to loosen his grip on her. When he refuses to move his hands, she says, "Well, haven't we got to leave? It would be horrible if we missed the train."

"You're only trying to get away from me," he whispers, his grip on her so tight she can hardly breath anymore, "Stop squirming. It makes me angry."

She falls limp in his arms, knowing by now that Tom Riddle is not a person to defy.

"Better," He says, his lips meeting her cheek now. He sees her flinch as if she wants to move away and feels angry again. Why does she want to get away from him? It isn't like he's going to hurt her.

She looks away from him, feeling the burn of his glare, and says again, "We've got to get to the train or we'll be late."

He nods and lets her go so that she can get her trunk, spelled so that it can hold everything she needs and still be light enough and small enough for her to carry. He gets his own and they leave. She pays for the taxi they take to the corner of the street that King's Cross is on. Tom takes her hand as they're walking toward the station. When she loosens her grip deliberately so that her hand falls away, he decides not to give her a chance to object. Tom reaches out and wraps his arm around her waist tightly, pulling her as close as possible to him.

"Stop frowning," he hisses, turning his head so that he can say it low enough that only she can hear.

"Tom, people are staring at us. They're going to get the wrong idea."

"And what wrong idea would that be Ella?" He says harshly.

She flinches at his tone, and doesn't reply because she knows that, whatever she says, he will just brush it off and keep being, as she views it, inappropriate. They finally get to Platform 9 ¾. She pulls away from him and runs forward to hug Abraxas, knowing that Tom can't punish her here, in front of everyone.

"As annoying as you are Malfoy, I believe I actually missed you!" She says, trying to wrap her arms as tightly around him as possible, but finding resistance in his strong frame.

He chuckles, "I believe I missed you too. Doing the summer potions homework was not nearly as entertaining without your snide comments."

She laughs, "Luckily you probably won't have to deal with potions without me again for the entire year, as Slughorn does seem to have a fondness for pairing us together."

"Perhaps he believes he's a good matchmaker," Malfoy says with a smirk.

"Or perhaps he's just trying to stop you from blowing up his classroom," She retorts.

"Doll, you were the one who blew up a cauldron last year."

"That was entirely on purpose, by the way. And you nearly destroyed the entire storeroom, which I would say is a notch worse than melting one or two cauldrons."

Tom walked up beside Eleanor, Lucretia (who had quite a crush on him) on his heels. Eleanor smiles and says, "Hello Lucretia. How was your summer?"

"It was good. I was just telling Tom about how I..." Lucretia began. Tom tuned her out quickly, looking over at Eleanor instead. He'd seen her hug Malfoy. He'd heard their joking around. He didn't like it at all.

He and Malfoy had become uneasy acquaintances since first year, Tom grudgingly accepting Eleanor's friendship with him in an attempt to keep her happy. They had shared a dorm the past three years, so they had agreed to coexist side by side. Tom had made it clear that Eleanor was always to be his best friend, and they had agreed to split up the days they would get to spend time with her. Naturally, Tom had four days of the week, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, while Malfoy only had the other three. Tom also got to sit next to her at all meals and during all classes, except for Potions (because of that fool, Slughorn) and History of Magic.

Through this verbal agreement, they got along well enough. From third year on, Abraxas tried to hide the fact that he had feelings for Eleanor, judging that Tom fancied her too, and knowing how Tom treated boys who fancied her. In second year, there had been a shy little Ravenclaw boy who had admitted to having a crush on her, and he'd had a bit of an accident a week later, falling halfway down a staircase. "Coincidences" like these happened often to people who bothered Tom. Malfoy knew he didn't want anything like that to happen to him, so he followed the rules and smiled politely at Tom and pretended that everything was just fine.

Tom hadn't let on to the fact that he knew very well exactly how Malfoy felt about Eleanor. Even when they thought he was distracted with Lucretia, he was watching them when they talked. He had heard Malfoy's nickname for Eleanor. Doll. Oh, he _would_ get revenge for that later.

Tom looked back at Lucretia and pretended to pay attention to the silly girl's talking. This gave him the perfect opportunity to put an arm around Eleanor's waist. Malfoy ought to realize soon enough that Eleanor was _his_. Tom had managed to gradually step up their physical contact over the summer – and though she still flinched and tried to move away when he held her hand or put his arms around her, he was sure he could convince her to end that soon. Soon, he'd have everyone at Hogwarts knowing that he was the only one who was allowed to touch her.

He noticed Malfoy glaring at the arm around her. Of course. Tom just smirked as Lucretia finally stopped talking. He leaned over and told Eleanor they should get on the train. She nodded and let him lead the way. As they enter a compartment, Tom locks the door so no one else can come in. They both sit down. He looks over his potions essay one last time, while she just stares out of the window.

About thirty minutes into the train ride, she looks over at him and asks, "Can I go talk to Abraxas?"

"Why do you flinch when I touch you?" He asks, ignoring her question.

"Maybe because of this," She says, pushing away the arm of her coat to reveal bruises from her shoulder to her elbow. She blushes as she remembers the forced kiss.

"Maybe you shouldn't have made me angry," He says coldly.

She looks at him impassively, "Can I go talk to Abraxas or not?"

He stares into her eyes for a few moments before saying, "You can go."

Since Malfoy's compartment is only down the hall, Tom can hear her laughter bouncing off the train walls, though he can't hear what they're talking about. He tries to focus on reading ahead in his potions book instead.

When she comes back nearly an hour later, she finds Tom still sitting in the same place. She lays down with her head in his lap, staring up at his face as he continues to read. He's changed quite a bit, she thinks, and his face shows it; it's more angular now, his hard features and cold eyes more pronounced. He's tall and skinny, but also very handsome. No wonder Lucretia wants him to like her so badly.

He absentmindedly strokes her hair, which is fanned out in his lap, ignoring the fact that she turns away from him. Finally, he decides to put down the book and look at her. She's been distant lately, and he hates it; they barely speak to each other, she acts as if she's afraid of his touch, she locks the door to her room, she doesn't come by to sleep in his bed, and she doesn't tell him how she's feeling.

"Sit up," He orders softly. She does. He moves closer to her and stares into her eyes. He reaches up and pushes her coat off of her shoulders. Without a word, he leans down and kisses the bruises on her shoulder, healing them with a wandless spell in the process. When all the bruises are gone, he sits up again. She's staring at him, her eyes soft as if she knows this is his way of apologizing for what he did to her.

He lays down and she falls asleep, her head against his chest and her body tucked in close to his. Tom wants to laugh later, when Malfoy walks in looking for her and sees the scene, apologizing for nearly waking her up. Once they're about an hour away from Hogwarts, he wakes her and they change into their robes, seemingly not caring that the other is still in the compartment. When Tom tells her Malfoy came looking for her, she leaves to see what Abraxas wanted.

As she enters the compartment Malfoy shares with Lucretia and a few other boys, she notices Lucretia glaring at her. The other boys look up at her and instantly leave, each making some excuse or another. She looks over at them oddly as they're walking out, but brushes it off as she takes the seat across from Abraxas.

"So..." Malfoy begins, lacking his usual swagger and confidence, "You and Tom are dating now?"

She looks at him for a second before bursting out into laughter. Her and Tom dating? That would be ridiculous. Tom's not her type at all, and she's pretty sure (from the few girls she heard he ran around with last year) that she isn't his. Besides, they're just friends, right? They'd never even spoken to each other about the possibility of anything more happening between them.

"Of course not!" Eleanor gasps out as she finally stops laughing, "What would give you that impression?"

Abraxas looks away, but she still recognizes the glint of anger in his eyes, "The fact that he's always touching you."

"It isn't as if it's that odd. We aren't -" She begins.

She really thinks that, even though she may be a little uncomfortable with what Tom does in public, they aren't doing anything that far outside the boundaries of normal friendship. Perhaps the kiss itself was odd, and so were the marks Tom insisted on leaving on her neck, but she quickly overlooked that as just another example of Tom trying to show everyone that she belonged to him. She was his best friend, and he didn't want anyone to get in the way of that, so he had to claim her as his. Tom was always selfish like that.

Putting his arm around her or holding her hand is exactly what he used to do when they were children too, before either of them had the ability to know what love or attraction was. It was just his attempt at protecting her, keeping her away from anyone that he might deem unworthy of her attention, and showing that he controlled her. None of his actions had ever struck her as particularly odd, simply a little bit embarrassing because she knew the impression others would get.

"It is that odd," Abraxas interjects, "It's like he's trying to lay a claim on you."

Of course Tom was trying to claim her, she thought. He always had been trying, refusing to let her make friends with any of the other children at the orphanage and always wary of everyone she talked to at Hogwarts. That didn't mean he was attracted to her. That was simply how he was; when something was his, he never wanted anyone else to have it. And she was _his_ best friend, after all.

"You know how he is. He is trying to lay a claim on me."

"Does he have to touch you to do it? Everyone's already too scared to speak to you while he's around," Malfoy says, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"Abraxas, you know I can't tell him not to do something." He looks away from her, still angry about the scene he witnessed earlier. She turns to Lucretia instead and says, "Why don't you go and talk to him Lucretia?"

"He doesn't like me," Lucretia says, her mouth set into a straight line, her eyes showing her anger.

"That's ridiculous. He considers you to be his friend."

"Tom Riddle does not have any friends, except for you. And, if it was up to me, I wouldn't call you two _friends_." Lucretia says with a sneer.

Eleanor glares at her before turning back to Malfoy, "So that's it then? Both of you are mad at me because of some little thing Tom did? First of all, Lucretia, I am not trying to steal Tom away from you. It is not my fault that he doesn't like you. Perhaps you should try speaking to him about something intelligent instead of going on and on with your mindless drivel. Secondly, Abraxas, why do you even care if Tom touches me? It isn't like it's any of your business what Tom and I do. Also, you should try trusting me for once. I wouldn't lie to you about it _if_ I was dating Tom."

Lucretia looked like she was about to cry. Maybe Eleanor shouldn't have been so harsh, calling her topics of conversation "mindless drivel"; but that was what Tom called them after all, so it wasn't as if she was simply trying to hurt Lucretia's feelings. Eleanor stood up and walked away. She would apologize to Abraxas later. She actually considered Abraxas her friend after all, and he was pretty pleasant when he wasn't being overly conceited. As for Lucretia, Eleanor would wait for Lucretia to approach her. She had never much liked the girl, so she didn't see the point of putting much effort into reforming their friendship. They had their own rooms from fourth year on anyway, so there was no point in being Lucretia's friend anymore.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **This took two days longer than I expected, but in my defense: 1) I was packing for my college orientation, which I am so excited for! 2) This was the longest chapter thus far, at about 7 pages in a word doc. 3) I wrote nearly an entire other chapter (which should be posted two or three chapters after this one) in the process of writing this chapter. 4) I had a significant problem in trying to figure out Abraxas's role in the story. I definitely wanted to include him, as the response to his character seemed pretty favorable. I've tweaked the plot a little and replaced another character that would have appeared later on with Abraxas. 5) I thought of another Tom Riddle story idea, and got distracted writing a few chapters of that story. It should be up on here too pretty soon.

I will try to update again around the 29th, but since I have orientation and am also helping with my high school's yearbook camp, the update may be either short or a few days late.

I tried to make Tom seem sweet - but in a decidedly creepy way, and only after he had caused the damage in the first place. Eleanor will change a little bit later on during their time at school - around 6th year - to show her Slytherin side. She's already shown a little of her Slytherin behavior by the way she acts toward Lucretia Black, but she is still very much in that naive childhood state about Tom. But really, we must all remember that he is Tom Riddle; there are plenty of reasons for Eleanor to be scared of standing up to him.

Eleanor is kind of a wild child, as readers will later discover. Though she's reserved around Tom (for obvious reasons of not wanting to do anything he disapproves of so he won't get angry), she strikes up conversations quickly, as she did with Malfoy. It's not that she's shy, it's that she knows Tom doesn't want her to make new friends. Also, there's a lot of trauma in her life revolving around her parents death, so she keeps a wall around herself only Tom is allowed past. That will also be shown a little bit in the next chapter.

I am horrible at drawing and not very familiar with actresses who I could picture as Eleanor, so I tried to describe her more in this one. I will go looking for a picture of an actress that I think she could look like, though the actress will probably be a lot older than they are now. By the way, Tom was 11 when he was admitted to Hogwarts, since he was born in December 1926. Eleanor was 10, since she was born in October 1927, so she turned eleven about a month after school started. That would make Tom 14 in this chapter and Eleanor 13.

Just wanted to clear a little bit up about my view of the characters. If you have questions, feel free to ask in the reviews and I will get back to you on the next story update!

_Feedback would be appreciated :) Thank you for reading._


	6. Close Relations

**Note:** Since they both have no known living relatives, the requirement of getting permission to go to Hogsmeade was waved. I did move Bellatrix up a generation because there will be a subplot between her and Tom.

* * *

><p>Eleanor stares down at her parchment while tapping her quill against the table. Looking up and around the library for a few seconds, she notices that the corner they were in was nearly deserted now. When she and Tom had entered, there had been students at nearly every table. Curiously, the rest of the library was still bustling with students, but the four tables closest to them were completely empty. Well, at least they could do their work in quiet now.<p>

She sighed as she looked back at Tom, who was laboring away over his potions essay. Lucretia had _accidentally_ spilled their potion in class that day, so Tom knew he would need a good mark on his essay to make up for the missing grade on the potion. Eleanor had come to the conclusion that Lucretia really was a nasty girl; she had seemed to develop a vendetta against Eleanor since that day on the train.

Eleanor kept her voice low as she asked, "So, for the Transfiguration essay, did Dumbledore mention a specific order we have to write about Gamp's Laws of Elemental Transfiguration in?"

Tom looked up as if he was startled. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since they'd sat down, so she supposed it was possible that he'd just forgotten she was there. But then again, it seemed like they were never apart, so it would be odd if he'd forgotten she was there. He suddenly looks away, his eyes flickering over the rest of the students in the library.

When he speaks, his voice is a low, almost dangerous sounding, whisper, "I don't think so, but it would probably make it easier to understand if it was in order."

She nodded and sighed again, turning back to the page in the Transfiguration book where the chapter about the laws of transfiguration started. For another ten minutes, all the noise that could be heard from their corner of the library was two quills scratching parchment.

"Are you planning on going to Hogsmeade this weekend?" She finally asked, not looking up so she could avoid his eyes. For some reason, it felt as if he was always analyzing her lately, especially whenever she talked about Abraxas. She hated that feeling; the feeling of his cold eyes raking over her face, looking for any sign of deception.

"Why would I _want_ to go?" Tom drawled, "It isn't as if there's much to do there."

She tried not to smile, "So, since you don't want to go, it won't be a problem if I go with Malfoy, right?"

"Why do you want to go? It's a waste of time," He said, his voice sharp.

"I need to go buy some quills, and besides, I'd like to buy some candy too."

"When are you going to do the 5,000 word History of Magic essay that we have to turn in on Monday?" Tom asked, a demeaning edge to his voice.

"I'll have all of Sunday to work on it," She replies, trying not to let her frustration show.

"I'll go with you," Tom says sternly.

She was obviously trying to keep her tone relaxing as she said, "It's fine. If you don't want to go, there's no reason for you to go just to watch over me. I'm sure Malfoy will do just fine for making sure I don't get lost or anything; and anyway, I am really not that dull. I'll just be gone for a few hours Saturday morning."

Tom felt unbelievably angry. Saturday was one of _his_ days with her. He couldn't believe Malfoy would even offer to go to Hogsmeade with her on one of his days. Stupid, conceited, little boy thought he could take Eleanor away from him; but that was never going to happen.

"I'll go with you," He repeated, his muscles tense. His fingers were already flexing, his arm already aching to reach for his wand, his legs already eager to stand up and find that little brat and curse him until he was in the hospital wing.

"Tom, it will be fine. I'll be back before noon. You can work on your essay while I'm gone," She said, her voice steady.

She knew he didn't like going out. If he did come with her, he would probably rush her and sneer at Malfoy and make sure that she didn't speak with anyone else. And she was very tired of not being able to speak with anyone. Even though she hated to admit it to herself, she knew the reason that everyone would flee upon seeing her; as they just had in the library, or as they had when she had entered Malfoy's compartment during the train ride to school. She knew the reason that hardly anyone would ever respond if she said anything to them; she would often attempt to ask another Slytherin a question and get a frightened look instead of an answer.

They all knew that to speak to her without Tom's permission was practically a death sentence. Because Tom Riddle was king of Slytherin, with the highest grades, and many male and female admirers, and every teacher loved him; and everyone knew that he and Eleanor were practically family and that he hated when people _bothered_ them. She never met anyone new unless Tom introduced her to them. This meant she had a very small group of people she knew – Avery, Nott, Black, Carrow, Dolohov – all of them willing to do anything to claim they were friends with Tom Riddle. Even this small group of boys she hardly ever had contact with; they seemed more like a replacement for her when she was hanging out with Malfoy than Tom's actual friends.

"I'll go with you, and that's the end of it," Tom said, his tone commanding.

"Fine," She says, shuffling her papers and shutting her book, "I'm going to go down and change for dinner."

Tom stared at her as she put her things in her book bag and stood. Was she angry with him again? Just because he wouldn't let her go to Hogsmeade alone with some insipid boy? He didn't know what to do now, but he knew he wouldn't change his mind about going with her to Hogsmeade.

To his surprise, she walked behind him. She leaned down and kissed his cheek before whispering, "See you later."

Chills ran down his back as he focused all his attention on her footsteps. He closed his eyes and pictured her, reliving the sensation of her lips on his skin.

* * *

><p>"Eleanor!" She turned as she heard Abraxas calling her from across the common room. "Wait a second!"<p>

She slows down, turning to look at him as he gets up from his chair and rushes toward her. She smiles as he greets her with a huge hug and jokes, "Hey Abraxas. By the way, thanks for not being as clumsy as your cousin. You may have nearly ruined our potion by adding too much mandrake root, but at least you didn't knock our cauldron over."

He laughs, "I can arrange to do that tomorrow if you'd like. What are you doing right now?"

"I have to change and meet Tom for dinner," She replies.

"Okay. Can you meet me down here around 11 tonight?" Abraxas asks, not standing much farther from her than he was when he hugged her.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea."

Abraxas smirks, "Riddle doesn't have to know. He'll be asleep anyway. I promise we won't get into any trouble."

She giggles, "Just the fact that you're bringing up us getting into trouble proves that you're planning something mischievous."

His eyes light up as he says, "You always complain that you can't see the stars from the Slytherin dorms, so I was going to take you up a secret passageway I found to the astronomy tower."

Her smile grows, "I would love that."

"So, common room at 11?"

"Sure."

They hug once again before she leaves. She doesn't tell Tom anything about her plans that night at dinner, knowing he'll complain about how she's going to get into trouble.

* * *

><p>She walks into the common room, bundled up with her scarf and gloves. She barely got Tom to leave the common room about 30 minutes ago by pretending that she was going to sleep and nagging him to go to sleep too, as the potions essay he was working on was due next week anyway. She'd only just managed to run up and drop off her books and such before she'd walked back down. She didn't want any of her hall mates to be suspicious, so she pretended that she'd forgotten something in the common room. She never knew which of the girls in her grade would run off and betray her, telling Tom things she didn't want him to know; though, if Eleanor had to guess, she would say that Lucretia was the most eager to find anything that could make her look worse. In 3rd year, she'd admitted to one of her roommates that she fancied the Gryfindor chaser. Tom hadn't stopped teasing her about it for nearly two months. She wouldn't make that mistake again.<p>

Malfoy was already there, sitting in an armchair and staring at the fire. When he heard her footsteps, he looked up and, smirking, said, "Shall we?"

She laughed and began to follow him out of the common room. After nearly ten minutes ducking behind tapestries, taking secret passages, and watching out for prefects, they finally arrived at the top of the astronomy tower. She smiled as she looked up, seeing the stars in their full glory for the first time in months. The full moon lit up the sky, drowning out much of the beauty, but a welcome sight nonetheless.

After a few minutes, Abraxas finally said something, "So, what time should I meet you on Saturday so we can walk to Hogsmeade?"

"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you!" She says, trying to keep the conversation light. She's hoping Abraxas won't be too angry – she can still tell that he and Tom don't get along all that well. "Tom insisted on coming. I suppose we can meet around 10 in the Great Hall."

"I thought you said he didn't want to go," Abraxas says, trying to hide his disappointment. He hadn't wanted to tell her, but he had viewed the trip as something like their first date. They'd finally be alone outside of class and she wouldn't be preoccupied by schoolwork. He'd thought about telling her that he liked her at the end of the day, over butterbear in The Three Broomsticks, and perhaps asking her to the Yule Ball next month. He would have to think of someway to get rid of Riddle before they had to go back to Hogwarts.

She shrugged, "I guess he changed his mind. So is 10 okay?"

Abraxas nodded, his mind already working on a plan, "That's fine."

"Anyway, how are you doing?" She asks, looking up at him, "You've been acting a bit odd lately."

"My parents are being annoying again." He drawls, moving to stand next to her.

She leans against the railing, looking back up in an attempt to hide her sadness, "At least you have parents."

"You don't even know how bad it is though."

"What? The pureblood stuff? It can't be any worse than every other Slytherin's view on it."

"Not that. I completely agree with them on that, though the amount of time they spend ranting about it does aggravate me. They're trying to arrange a marriage between me and Lucretia."

Eleanor frowns, "But, she's like...your second cousin."

Abraxas sighs, letting his head fall into his hands. She looks over and notices that he really does look quite bothered. She reaches over and takes his hands in hers, pulling them away from his face.

She smiles reassuringly, "You're very fetching Abraxas. I'm sure you'll find another pureblood who would love to marry you before your parents ever resort to making you marry Lucretia. They're probably just trying to scare you into bringing by an unbelievably beautiful Slytherin girl during the holidays. Think you can manage that, given that half the girls in school are absolutely head-over-heels in love with you?"

He smirks, "They are not. None of those girls have even asked me out."

"It's because they blush furiously every time you smirk at them. Imagine how red they would turn if they actually had to speak to you!" She says, her tone joking, "Now, seriously, you are going to find yourself an attractive girl to show off to your parents during the holidays, aren't you?"

"I think I can manage that," he suddenly grins and holds her hands more tightly, "And how about you? Are you finally going to find yourself some new friends this year, or are you going to be stuck with just Riddle again when the holidays come around?"

She shrugs and looks away, kind of embarrassed. She always thought she was a fairly easy person to get along with; it was hard for her to come to terms with the fact that, other than Abraxas and Tom, she had no real friends.

"I don't mind it," She says softly.

"If you say so Eleanor." Abraxas tries to bring her smile back, "Anyway, I can't wait for you to try Cauldron Cakes – they're just amazing and, given your sweet tooth, I'm sure you'll appreciate them."

She laughs, even though it's a bit hallow and fake, "Why, Abraxas Malfoy, I do believe you are trying to make me fat. Besides, you have just as much of a sweet tooth as I do."

"I'm not the one who eats dessert before dinner," Abraxas teases.

"You should try doing it though, it really tastes so much better. Shouldn't we be busy figuring out which girl you need to start charming? Madeline Greengrass is pretty, and she's a Slytherin in our year."

"Greengrass talks too much."

"How about Katherine Parkinson?"

"Parkinson talks too little. She's awfully boring."

"Daisy Carrow?"

"Carrow is too serious. She hardly ever looks up from her books."

She sighs, "I am quickly running out of Slytherin girls in our year. Annabelle Bulstrode?"

"I believe she's taller than me, which just wouldn't do," he tried to keep from smirking, knowing he was just looking for any excuse to reject every other girl in their house.

"Jane Zabini? She's the most beautiful witch in our year."

"And she loves to brag about it. She's vain."

"Bellatrix Lestrange?"

"She's just...odd. And besides, I believe she's my second cousin too."

She laughs, "Are there any decent pureblood girls who aren't your relatives? Lara Bole?"

"I think she's already got a boyfriend. And she's a bit daft."

"Rebecca Higgs? She's smart and decent looking – which, for a Slytherin, is of course a very high standard. I think she's got a crush on you too," Eleanor says with a smirk. She happens to know that Rebecca Higgs is so in love with Abraxas that she turns beet red in his presence.

"Higgs? She can't even bare to speak to me without nearly fainting. Imagine how she would react if I asked her out. Anyway, she's much too giddy about everything. It's quite annoying," Abraxas says.

"Well then, there's just Lucretia and I left. I suppose you may have to marry your cousin after all. At least she's pretty."

Abraxas smirks, pulling her into his arms, picking her up and twirling her around. When he puts her down, she stares up at him, a smile on her face. He pretends he's joking as he says, "Or, I could just take you to visit my parents over the holidays and pretend that you're my girlfriend. I think that would do quite nicely – I wouldn't have to bother with speaking to any insufferable girls, and you wouldn't have to stay at school again over the holidays."

She laughs, "Yes, that would be perfect, until you're parents learned I'd been raised in the muggle world and kicked me out of their house."

"That's ridiculous darling – first of all, it isn't a house, it's a manor. Secondly, they'll absolutely love you. Best catch at Hogwarts."

She looks away suddenly, "Why exactly is my bloodline so great anyway? Dumbledore won't tell me anything – he acts as if it's all some big secret."

"No one ever told you?" He asks, surprise obvious in his tone.

She turns away, her back now to him. She sighs before saying, "Nobody ever told me anything about my parents other then their names."

"Want me to tell you what my mother told me?" He asks.

"Sure."

"So, as you know, your mother went to school with my mother. They were both Slytherins. Your father was a Gryfindor. My mother described him as intolerable during their first year. Who knows how they ended up together – but apparently by sixth year your parents were the cutest couple in Hogwarts. They got married right after graduation. Your mother wrote children's books – a lot of them are still famous. Your father worked for the Ministry," Abraxas says.

"And the bloodline thing?"

"Your father is a descendent of Merlin. Your mother is a descendent of Morgan le Fay. I think you can see why that would be kind of a big deal, given that you are the only remnant of both of those lines."

She tries to stop herself from crying while she asks, "Do you...do you know how my parents died?"

His voice is soft, almost a whisper, as he says, "I've read some news stories about it. They were leaving a Ministry party when they were killed by a protester. When he was tried by the Wizengamot, he made up some story about how he was a seer and he had to stop the curse – that he was saving the wizarding world. They gave him the Dementor's kiss the next day. There was a hoard of flowers outside the Ministry for weeks."

"Curse?"

"Some people, usually the same people who think everyone bad comes from Slytherin, think that the descendents of Mogran le Fay are cursed. It's mostly because every descendent has been in Slytherin," Abraxas says, leaving out the fact that every descendent of Morgan le Fay died violently and every descendent of Merlin was either nearly destroyed or driven crazy by their powers. As far as he and his parents view on it, Eleanor's lineage was noble. There was no need for superstition about family curses or questionable prophecies.

She stayed silent for a while, just looking out at the lake and the forest in front of her. Just as he was thinking of asking if it was time to go to bed, she turned to him and said, "Anyway, we haven't picked a new girlfriend for you yet. You are quite picky. If that's really your opinion of all the Slytherin girls, who are you going to ask to the Yule ball?"

"I'm not sure," He lies, "Who did you want to go with?"

She smirks, "Oh, what does it matter when it's the boy asking. You know well enough that no one will ever bother to ask me. I suppose I'll just end up going with Tom, since neither of us will ever get asked."

"And why, Eleanor, are you so sure you won't be asked?" Abraxas says, his tone teasing.

"Because no one ever bothers to ask me to anything," She says, faking a frown.

"Well, there wasn't anything to ask you to before, was there? You're the prettiest girl in our year, of course you'll be asked."

"Prettiest girl in our year? I doubt it."

Abraxas smiles, "Come on Eleanor, you've never been coy before. Why bother now? You know very well that you're currently the most beautiful girl in our whole house."

"The house? Not the school? Why, I'm offended Abraxas," She says jokingly.

He smiles, "You will be the most beautiful girl in the school in a few years."

"Nonetheless, no one will ask me to the ball," She says stubbornly.

"How come? I daresay boys are lining up for the chance."

Her voice losses it's light tone as she says, "Because, they would have to get permission from Tom, and he would absolutely never allow it."

Abraxas' sharp laugh is back, ringing through the air, sounding almost bitter with it's high pitch. When he finally stops to catch his breath, he says, "Riddle isn't your father. No one has to get permission from him to take you on a date."

She thinks about it for a second, and realizes that he's right. It isn't at all fair that she can't have a date to the ball just because Tom disapproves. He disapproves of nearly everything she does, and that usually doesn't stop her. She smiles as she turns to Abraxas and says, "You do have a point. Well, hopefully someone asks me so I can say yes."

He turns away, trying to hide his own grin, "No doubt someone will ask you."

Her real, loud, vibrant laugh echoed around the tower, "We will see about that. Is it about time to get to bed?"

"I'm not tired. Are you?"

"Not really."

"Shall we take a seat then?" Abraxas says, smirking as he sits down, his back against the wall. She sits next to him, still staring up at the stars. They stay up there for another hour, lazily telling stories and talking about anything that comes to mind. By the time they finally get back to the common room, they're both ready to go straight to sleep. They hug each other goodnight and go up their respective staircases.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Please review! I barely got any reviews for the last chapter, so I felt like zero motivation to finish this chapter after I got stuck at the Astronomy Tower scene. I will try to have the next chapter up soon, but I need ideas for what Abraxas will do to make Tom leave Hogsmeade early. After that, there will be a chapter about the Yule Ball, then I chapter I have already wrote (so at least that update will actually be fast!)

By the way, expect the first chapter of another Tom Riddle fic to be up soon. Depending on the response, I may or may not write that one simultaneously.

Also, I was reading the stories I wrote by hand like years ago when I first started high school, and there was a Oliver Wood/OC story in there. It was actually pretty funny - it was staged as a teacher/student romance and it had quite a few scenes with the sarcastic student. For example, in one chapter she burns down Snape's desk. If anyone would actually be interested in reading that story, please tell me so I know if there's any reason to type it up!

_Reviews/Questions/Feedback would be appreciated :) Thank you for reading!_


	7. The Green Eyed Monster

**_"O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-ey'd monster, which doth mock; The meat it feeds on." - Shakespeare_**

Eleanor nearly has to pull Tom from his seat at the breakfast table in order to get him to walk to the Entrance Hall to meet Malfoy. He's frowning all the way. Even when Eleanor sees Abraxas and hugs him, Tom says nothing. As they're walking, Eleanor turns to Abraxas and starts talking about the current gossip – Lara Bole has just broken up with her boyfriend of a year and there are some rumors going around that the Gryfindor quidditch team's chaser and keeper both quit.

The entire walk, Tom doesn't say anything. He does wrap his arm around Eleanor's waist and draw her closer to him. He smirks when he sees Malfoy glaring at him again. But, unexpectedly, as soon as they're actually in Hogsmeade, where the rest of the students can see them, Eleanor draws away from Tom. He frowns as she continues to speak to Malfoy, their conversation full of inside jokes and witty comments.

Tom reluctantly walks along as they pass through the main street of Hogsmeade. When they finally arrive in front of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, Eleanor proposes that they part ways, as Malfoy has to stop by Dervish and Banges. Malfoy nods and walks off after saying he will meet them in Honeydukes in an hour.

Eleanor still didn't say anything to Tom as they walk into the shop. He stands behind her as she looks at a shelf full of quills. He wraps his arms around her waist. A small gasp escapes from her lips as she feels her back make contact with his chest.

"Tell me why," he hisses into her ear, knowing Eleanor will understand that he's talking about her behavior earlier.

"People were staring at us. And you looked angry," she says, trying to ignore the feeling of his arms around her. He knows she doesn't like this.

"I am angry," Tom points out.

"Then go back to school. You don't even want to be here," she comments.

"And leave you here alone?" he asks, his voice menacing.

"I won't be alone, I'll go find Abraxas."

"Even worse."

Eleanor sounds almost commanding as she says, "Unless you're going to cheer up all of a sudden, I suggest you go back."

"I told you, I'm not going to leave you here."

She turns suddenly, reaching up to put her arms around his neck. She has to stand on her tiptoes to hug him like this, but she knows it's one of the few ways she can ever calm him down.

"Be good and I promise I'll buy you a new book from Tomes and Scrolls," she whispers.

He scoffs. She can feel his breath against the skin of her neck as he says, "Be good?"

"Just don't yell at Malfoy. Or try to curse him. And for once, you could probably stand not to look as if you're hearing the cry of a baby mandrake."

"You're going to need more than just a new book to get me to do that."

"What do you want your reward to be?"

He smirked, "I can't tell."

"You'll get whatever you want tonight if you act civil to Malfoy today," she says, just hoping that the deal will really make today go smoother. She doesn't want her trip to Hogsmeade ruined just because Tom insists on treating Malfoy as if he doesn't deserve to talk to her.

He's about to argue about the definition of _civil_, but her lips pressing softly against his cheek make him forget his words. He still isn't willing to agree though. She kisses down his jaw line, until he feels her lips touch the corner of his mouth, probably accidentally. His heart skips a beat. He wants to kiss her right then, but he knows how she'll react if he does so. She blushes and moves away a little, but doesn't bother with muttering an apology.

"Fine," he says, his breath hitting her lips. He knows exactly what he wants his reward to be.

She turns back, putting on a false smile but she's obviously still uncomfortable. Tom lets her go. The uneasy look in her eyes disappears right away.

She picks up a few quills and inkpots with different colored ink. Tom follows her over to the counter. The shopkeeper smiles at them and says something about young love, to which Eleanor laughs. Tom's face remains impassive, as if he doesn't feel like Eleanor just laughed at _him_.

They visit Tomes and Scrolls too and Eleanor insists on buying him a book. They wander around the store together, hand in hand, ignoring the occasional presence of other students. Eleanor picks out two books, and then picks two books for Tom even though he's still insisting she doesn't have to buy him one. She's get frustrated because the last book she wants is on a shelf she can't reach. Tom chuckles and makes teases her about her height before getting it for her. She smiles and kisses him on the cheek again as thanks.

* * *

><p>When Tom and Eleanor arrive at Honeydukes, Malfoy is already outside waiting for them (or rather, her). They all walk in together, though Tom does notice that Eleanor extends the distance between them as soon as they're in the shop, standing closer to Malfoy than she is to Tom.<p>

Tom follows as Malfoy and Eleanor wander around together.

"Sugar quills! I definitely need some of these to stay awake during History of Magic," Eleanor says with a smile.

Abraxas laughs as he picks up a bag of jelly slugs, "Good, maybe I won't have to wake you up anymore."

"I have never _actually_ fallen asleep. I've just...zoned out a bit. And besides, you often insist on talking so much during that class that I could never fall asleep anyway," she replies jokingly as she gets a few chocolate frogs.

"We'll share some of these mini cauldron cakes by the fireplace later," Abraxas says, "And by the way, I am pretty sure you've fallen asleep in History of Magic before."

"Not nearly as many times as you've forgotten your things for potions," she retorts, "Let's have another Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans contest."

"You know you'll lose again. You never did eat that grass flavored one you promised you would eat if I ate the earwax one," Abraxas comments.

Their conversation continues for another 30 minutes until they're leaving the store. In an attempt to act civil to Malfoy and fulfill his agreement with Eleanor, Tom doesn't complain. They walk into the Three Broomsticks next. They find a booth, and then Malfoy goes to buy their drinks. She puts down her purchases and glances over at Tom, but she still doesn't say a word to him. When Malfoy comes back, she's in animated conversation with him about every subject imaginable.

It only takes 10 more minutes for Tom to get tired of being ignored. He tries to put his hand over hers on the table, but she just shrugs it off and seems to scoot closer to Malfoy. Unable to just sit there being ignored any longer, he gets up and walks out.

* * *

><p>"Tom! Tom! Where are you going?" she yells as she follows him down the street. She feels a bit bad about leaving Abraxas by himself, but at least she knows he isn't going anywhere. She has no clue where Tom is going.<p>

"Back to school," he mutters without looking back at her.

"Why?" she asks while grabbing his arm and turning him around.

He glares down at her, "Because you are too preoccupied with that git to even pay any attention to me, so what's the point of my staying here? Just so I can watch you and Malfoy fall all over each other for another hour? I think not."

She smirks before moving closer to him, her hands on his chest, her face only a few inches from his. She teases, "Is Tom Riddle really jealous?"

He stares back at her, his eyes dark and emotionless like stone. The side of his mouth twitches as he denies it. She knows that gesture well.

"Oh, he is," she whispers, her voice low and seductive. She teases him by stepping a little bit closer, "If you admit it, we will go back to Hogwarts right now."

"I am not jealous. Why would I be jealous of Abraxas Malfoy?"

The smirk on her face grows, "Because I was talking to him instead of you."

"I am not jealous," Tom repeats, his voice steady.

She laughs softly, "Fine then. I'll just go back and have another drink with Abraxas. See you at school."

He grabs her hand before she can turn around. He sounds almost dangerous as he says, "Don't."

"You're choice Tom. You can admit you're jealous, or you can let me go back to The Three Broomsticks," she says stubbornly.

They stand there for a few seconds. Tom doesn't say anything. She shakes her head before pulling away from him. As she's walking back toward The Three Broomsticks, she looks over her shoulder and says, "Well then, I'll see you later."

She manages to take a few more steps before he runs after her. He grabs her and, noticing the odd looks from the students around them, decides to pull her into one of the alleyways so they won't have a billion witnesses. After pulling her along roughly, he pushes her against the wall. She thinks for a second that he must be angry and that he's going to hurt her. But then he leans forward, his forehead meeting hers, his body trapping her against the wall.

"Please don't," he whispers, his voice so calm and his tone so desperate she can hardly believe that it's really Tom Riddle standing across from her.

"Why does me hanging out with Abraxas bother you so much?" she asks in a soft whisper.

"You have to see the way he looks at me. He can't stand the fact that we're friends."

"Well, you look at him the same way, so why does that matter?"

"Malfoy just wants to steal you away from me," he says, his voice still smooth.

Her laugh is harsher this time, "Tom, you're being paranoid. Just because he's friends with me, it doesn't mean he expects me to stop being friends with you."

"He doesn't want me around. It's obvious."

"And what's that going to change? I already can't even hang out with you both at the same time. You don't want him around and he doesn't want you around. It's really not a surprise, given the way you two act toward each other, that you fight like rabid animals whenever you're in the same room."

"It'll change us," Tom says, reaching out to wrap his arms around her and pull her body against his, "It's already changing the way you talk to me."

She sneers, "Is that what this is about Tom? I'm no longer blindly listening to you and I actually talked back to you for once. Does that make you angry? Well, I'm sorry if I can't justify being your slave any longer and letting you do whatever you want with me."

"Ella, I -" he begins to argue.

She just pulls away from him, pushing his body away from hers and then beginning to walk off. She doesn't even turn as she says, "Talk to me again when you're ready to treat me like your friend instead of your servant."

He stands there. Despite his expectation of being angry, all he feels is a ripping pain in his abdomen. He feels like he can still sense her hands on his chest where they were when she pushed him away. He just stares out at the street, expecting her to come back. He waits and waits for what feels like forever (in reality, about two minutes) but there's no sight of her.

He still doesn't move. She'll come back. Of course she will. She would never hurt him and then just leave like that. _Never_.

Okay, so maybe she wouldn't come back, he finally admitted after five minutes. But she would at least look for him in the common room that night and pull him into a deserted hallway. She would hold his face in her hands as she apologized. He would stop her from speaking; he didn't need the words, only the look in her eyes that showed how much she regretted the pain she had caused. She would smile and hug him and they would be back to normal.

Tom finally walked on, heading back to Hogwarts.

* * *

><p>Eleanor walked calmly towards The Three Broomsticks, forcing a smile back onto her face. Tom could be as arrogant, obsessive, and just overall annoying as he wanted to be – he wasn't going to stop her from actually enjoying her trip to Hogsmeade.<p>

"What's wrong?" Malfoy asks after he had fetches them new butterbeers.

"It's just that Tom is in a foul mood again," she says before she takes a sip of her butterbeer.

"Isn't Riddle always in foul mood?" Abraxas sneers.

"Yes, but usually I can stop him from hexing someone. I stormed away from him earlier, and he's bound to not be very happy. Don't be surprised if there's a yelling match at the Slytherin table during dinner."

He actually chuckles, "Never am doll. We are Slytherins after all."

This actually makes her smile, "You've got a point there."

She's shocked when Abraxas doesn't respond right away. He seems to always have a witty retort on the tip of his tongue. He's staring down at the table, an expression she's never seen before on his face – almost like uncertainty.

"So..." Abraxas starts awkwardly before hurriedly saying, "Willyougototheballwithme?"

She giggles a little at the nervous expression on his face before she asks, "I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

He tries to calm himself before he asks, "I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my date to the ball?"

She smiles, "You're only asking because you feel bad for me since I haven't been asked and probably won't be."

"Well, you've been asked now," he points out.

"I appreciate it Abraxas, but you should really take a girl you like..."

He cuts her off, "But I _do_ like you."

"I mean, as more than I friend."

"So do I."

"It's okay, you don't have to say that just because you feel bad for me."

"I don't feel bad for you. I _like_ you."

She smirks, "You sure about this Brax? Last chance to take it back."

"Why would I want to take it back?"

"It could ruin our friendship if something happens between us."

"That won't happen," Abraxas says, "You can say no. I won't be angry."

Eleanor giggles before asking, "Why would I say no?"

He frowns, "Because you didn't think I really liked you."

"It just sounded too good to be true for a second," She says with a smile fit for a Hollywood star, "I'd love to go to the ball with you Abraxas. Though I suppose now I'll have to go through the bother of finding a dress."

He laughs, his joy overcoming him. He'd imagined dozens of ways this could go, and the reality had turned out better than any of them. "I'm sure you'll look fabulous in anything doll."

She smirks, "Now you're just trying to flatter me."

He grins and leans in, intending to kiss her. He had already been waiting so long for his chance.

She just backs away before saying, "I just want to see how it feels first. I mean, I still want us to be able to be friends if this doesn't work out, so I don't think we should jump into it right away. Can we just take it slow, at least until the ball?"

Malfoy smiles at her, even though he's disappointed by the fact that he might have to wait nearly a whole month to kiss her. "Okay. So does this mean you're my girlfriend?"

Her smile slips away, "Maybe it's too early for an official label. Besides, Tom would have a heart attack if he heard."

"Okay." That annoying tosser, always stopping him from being as close as he wanted to be to Eleanor, even when he wasn't here.

* * *

><p>They walk back to Hogwarts together, holding hands. Other then that, everything is at it was before Eleanor knew Abraxas liked her. As soon as she drops off her stuff in her room, she goes back down to the common room. Luckily, they came back earlier than most people and Abraxas has left, so the common room is empty. She walks up the staircase to the boys dorms, grateful that no one sees her entering Tom's room holding the books she bought him earlier that day.<p>

"Tom," she calls softly as soon as she closes the door. After looking up from his spot laying on his bed and realizing that it's Eleanor, he tries to hide his happiness. As she puts the books down on his desk, he gets up. He walks over to her, standing directly in front of her.

She looks up at him as she says, "You have to promise me something before we're okay again."

"What?" he asks, reaching forward to push her hair away from her face. His hands slip down to her shoulders and along her arms before landing on her waist.

She pretends not to notice the fact that he's touching her, instead saying, "I also have to tell you something. First you can't be angry. I can't even tell you if you're going to be angry."

"I won't be angry," he promises, just glad to have her back in his arms.

"Promise me you'll stop ordering me not to talk to people. I want to make friends that are girls. I want to be like any other normal stupid here. Plus, I'll need someone to help me get ready for the ball."

"Fine," he says, kissing her forehead, "I promise, as long as you don't spend more time with them than you do with me. So, when we go to the ball..."

_We_. She had been afraid of that, afraid he would assume they were going together. She took a deep breath before saying, "I'm going to the ball with Malfoy."

He wanted to be angry, but he couldn't deny the fact that he had never really asked her to the ball. He had just _thought_ that they would go together. And he had already promised her he wouldn't be angry. If he turned back on his words now, she may walk away from him again.

"Fine. You haven't apologized for yelling at me yet."

She gets up onto her tiptoes. Her hands rest on the sides of his face, her fingers gently touching his chiseled cheeks. Her eyes are now on level with him as she stares into his eyes, noticing the flecks of gray. Her voice is soft, her breath brushing against his lips, as she says, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"You haven't given me a reward either," he notes with a smirk.

"Well Tom, walking out on someone isn't considered too civil."

"But I only walked out on him so I wouldn't end up hexing him. Anyway, I didn't say anything rude."

"You didn't say anything at all. And, regardless of your intentions, walking out was pretty rude," she says, her voice still soft as she notices the vulnerability in his eyes, "Now, how about we get some hot chocolate from the kitchens and then come back up here and start reading?"

Tom nods, holding back a smile. Even if he didn't get exactly what he wanted, at least he got to spend time with her.

**_"It is only possible to live happily ever after on a day to day basis." - Margaret Bonnano_**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I don't really like this chapter very much. I feel like I didn't write the scene with Eleanor and Abraxas in The Three Broomsticks very well. At least this update was fast, compared to my other ones. The next chapter will also be less dramatic than I would like, as it will feature the build up to the ball, a few glimpses of moments between Eleanor/Abraxas and Eleanor/Tom, and a piece of the ball itself. Eleanor is kind of breaking away from Tom at this point, so this chapter is beginning to build up the main story, though that's still a while off.

It also shows the beginning of a divide in how Tom thinks of Eleanor versus how Eleanor views their friendship. Tom and Eleanor will not have a (official) relationship soon, because Eleanor still wants to believe that Tom is just her friend and Tom doesn't want to say anything about his feelings. There will be some juicy moments between them in the next few chapters, and jealous/possessive Tom will make a lot of reappearances, as I love him just as much as you all do.

I tried to make this update kind of fast, as the next update will probably be slow in coming. I've been doing a lot of house cleaning recently in an attempt to get ready semi-early for college shopping and packing, so that will take up a good few hours of my time next week. I also just realized today that I have a pretty long to-do list that I have been putting off, and I need to tackle that before I can feel okay spending a lot of time writing. Plus, my little sister is going back to high school on Monday, so I will be around there saying hi to old teachers, helping out with yearbook and mock trial, and helping one of my old teachers with his classes.

If all goes well and I am more productive this next week than I have been for the last two months, the next chapter should be up by _August 21_. Send me angry PMs if not, because that will motivate me.

I've also been preoccupied with two other stories I want to write. One is also a Tom Riddle/OC story . The first chapter is already up, so _please_ check out my profile so that you can read that story! It would be much appreciated.

Thank you for reading :) Please review if you have any questions/comments/constructive criticism/requests/kind words! I am thinking of starting and ending every chapter with a quote (inspired by Criminal Minds). Would you guys like that, or would it distract from the story?


	8. A Fine Affair

**"It is those we live with and love and should know who elude us." - Norman Maclean**

* * *

><p>Tom tried to pretend he was fine with Eleanor and Malfoy and whatever was going on between them. He tried to ignore the fact that she flirted shamelessly with Malfoy at meals and the fact that they held hands during lessons. His only revenge was the few glares he earned from Malfoy whenever he and Eleanor got too close to call it <em>just friends<em>. This rarely happened, because he knew Eleanor would almost always try to move away from him, and after that argument they had during the Hogsmeade trip, their friendship was already on unstable ground. So, to avoid any more arguments, Tom would always just fake a small smile and try to change the subject whenever Eleanor brought up the Yule Ball. Like she did that morning at breakfast.

Eleanor sighs while pushing her waffles around her plate, "I still haven't got a clue what kind of dress I want. I can't believe the ball is in a week and my last chance to look at dresses is Sunday – I bet I'll look horrible in anything. Would you come with me? Please? At least I know if you think a dress is horrid, Abraxas will probably think it's horrid too."

"I don't want to go to Hogsmeade," Tom mutters. Why would he want to help her pick a dress that would impress another boy?

She suddenly turns to him, grabbing his hands even though he was reaching for his goblet. She pouts at him, that pout that usually tricks him into things, "Please?"

"No."

She moves closer to him. She knew she was being provocative, but she figured it was a sure fire way to get him to say yes. Immediately, his hands tighten around her hips and he pulls her an inch closer. She leans over a bit and lowers her voice as she says, "Please? I would _really_ appreciate it."

"Really?" he asks, the side of his lip twitching with the urge to smirk.

She leans closer, now whispering in his ear, "Yes, really."

"I still don't feel like watching you try on a dozen dresses."

She turns her head, brushing her lips against his cheek, "Please Tom?"

He wanted to say no and hope she would keep moving closer, but he knew there was no way she would actually kiss him. Even this display, even in a less-than-crowded Great Hall, was a surprise. He knew that virtually the only way he would see her all weekend, between her dates with Malfoy and preparation for Yule Ball, was to accompany her to Hogsmeade.

He pulls her closer once again before whispering, "I'll go if it's just you and I."

She smirks, "Well, that doesn't seem like you. Any other conditions?"

"Be good today," he says with a smirk. She knows this is his way of telling her that she has to let him do whatever he wants for the rest of the day without protesting, otherwise he'll decide not to go with her.

She pouts and turns back to her breakfast before saying, "Fine, but I am going to try on some _ugly_ dresses just to annoy you."

"You'll be the one wearing them Ella," he keeps his arm around her waist and she knows not to ask him to let go. She finally actually ate some of her breakfast. About ten minutes later, Malfoy walked in. He glared at Riddle's arm before Eleanor even looked up and noticed him. She smiled and said, "Hey Abraxas."

He leans over the table to kiss her cheek before taking the seat across from her, "Good morning doll."

"So what are you up to today other than classes?" she asks with a smile, ignoring the fact that Tom had tensed next to her.

"Not much. Study date after dinner?" Malfoy asks before pilling some food onto his plate.

She was about to accept but Tom turned his head and whispered, "No."

Eleanor knew she had no choice, despite the fact that Malfoy was already looking at her like she belonged in the insane ward of St. Mungo's and glaring at Tom. She tries to keep her smile on as she says, "Not tonight. Anyway, Tom and I have got to get to Ancient Ruins."

Malfoy and Tom glare at each other after Eleanor stand and turns her back. Tom smirks as he follows after her, throwing an arm around her waist again.

* * *

><p>"Are you seriously going to try that on?" Tom drawls, staring at the orange dress she was holding, which had about a hundred hideously pink flowers stuck onto it.<p>

"I told you, I am going to try on every single ugly dress in this store just to torture you," Eleanor responds with a smirk as she pulls out her size.

"And I told you, you'll only be torturing yourself by having to wear one of them Ella."

She smirks at him before picking up another dress, "How about this one?"

He glares at the dress, which is about the size of a napkin. It is an extremely form fitting red dress with sparkles imbedded in the cloth. He didn't even mind the color so much. It was rather the fact that the hem looked as if it would perhaps, if stretched, reach the middle of her thigh and the halter top had a neckline so low that it was almost pointless to even wear a top.

"Put that down," he orders, "You won't be wearing anything that doesn't cover at least eighty percent of your skin."

"Eighty percent? What am I, a nun? Fifty percent is generous," she says, still examining the red dress.

He snatches it from her and put it back on a rack. He takes the rest of the dresses she's holding and puts down all but two, which he judges to be bearable only because one is green and at least knee length and the other is black and relatively un-showy. She scoffs as he flags down a worker and asks her to set aside a fitting room. The worker blushes as she scurries away. Tom stands behind Eleanor, wrapping his arms around her as he watches her looking through dresses.

"None of these are right for you," he comments before kissing her cheek.

"And why not?" she asks, twisting her neck away from him.

"You need a floor length dress."

"I'm short. I'll look even shorter in a floor length dress."

"You'll look wonderful," he grabs her hand and leads her over to the full length section of the store, where he quickly finds what he thinks is the perfect dress for her. It's a floor length pink dress. The bust is ruched, with a bow separating it from the stomach. From the hips down it is tiered, made of fluffy fabric that looked like it floated down to the ground.

"I don't like the color," she comments.

"Regardless, it will look great on you."

She sighs, "Oh fine, I'll try it on. Just for you."

* * *

><p>He groans as she comes out of the dressing room in the same hideous orange dress he had rejected earlier, "Where did you get that dress? I thought I put it down."<p>

She smirks, "I asked the attendant to get it for me. Along with ten dresses of her choice. This is going to be a _long_ day."

An hour later, after she had paraded the ten ugliest dresses in the store in front of him as if they were couture creations, she buys the pink dress he had picked out earlier. She had tried it on and had to admit it was by far the best dress. Tom had been a little nervous about the tight corseted bodice and strapless shoulders, but he determined the dress was "acceptable" as long as she wore a shawl.

As they exits the store, she tells Tom she will meet him in The Three Broomsticks in 10 minutes. He rolls his eyes because she won't say anything else to him before walking away.

The bell above the door of Gladrags Wizardwear dinged as she walked through, scanning her eyes over the racks of odd colored clothing as she searches for the owner.

"Can I help you with anything?" Mr. Gladrag asks, emerging from behind a pile of socks.

"I'm here to pick up a pair of dress robes," she answers.

"Which ones?" he asks, wandering behind the counter and looking through a series of drawers.

"The one with the dark emerald green tie and silver cuff links."

The shop owner smirks as he pulls out a box, "Slytherin?"

"And proud of it," she responds, pulling the lid off the box to take a look at the custom made suit. It's a black suit with very small silver pinstripes. On top of the suit lies a skinny tie, matching the color that appears on the Slytherin emblem, and a shinning set of silver cufflinks, engraved with the initials T.M.R.

"Those are the measurements you gave?" the shop owner asks, putting a piece of paper in front of her.

She glances at it quickly before saying, "Yes, but they aren't exact."

"That's fine. The robes are able to taylor themselves a few inches, so as long as those are close they should fit perfectly. Are you picking them up for your date?"

She blushes before closing the box, but decides it would be easier just to lie, "Yes."

Pulling out a coin purse, she pays for the order. Since she learned how to do an undetectable extending charm last year, she was able to withdraw thousands of galleons from Gringots that summer and put them all in her coin purse.

The store owner smiles as the bell above the door rings as she's leaving. He yells after her, "Have fun at the ball!"

* * *

><p>She's able to stash both her dress and suit in her purse before walking into The Three Broomsticks. Tom has taken the table at the right corner and already ordered two butterbeers for them. She slides into the booth next to him.<p>

"So, are you going to tell me what your sudden disappearance was about?" he asks.

She smirks, "You'll know later."

"I would prefer to know now."

"Well, you won't," she says, teasing him by sticking her tongue out at him. Though he snickers at her silliness, she just continues, "So, who's your date for the ball?"

He looks away from her, "I was thinking of not going."

Truth was, he had wanted to go with her. And now that he couldn't, he saw no point in going at all, except for perhaps watching over her and making sure she didn't take things too far with Malfoy. He supposed he had to go for that reason, but he wasn't sure how she would react. Anyway, he didn't have dress robes or a date. With a week left, he was sure it would be impossible to pull off.

She pouts, "You have to go!"

"Why?" he asks, his fingers brushing over her hand on the table.

"Because..." she said, not wanting to tell him about the dress robes she bought for him, "You just have to."

"Does this have anything to do with whatever I will know later?" he asks, smirking. For a second, he hopes that she's planning to tell him that she isn't going to the ball with Malfoy anymore, but he knows his hope is in vain.

"_Maybe_," She says, trying to hide her own excitement, "So, will you be attending the ball?"

He shrugs, "I don't know."

She pouts before realizing something, "Have you even got a date yet?"

"No."

"Well, who were you planning to ask?"

_You_, he thinks but keeps it in his head, because it will either start an argument or make her want to go back to Hogwarts. He just shrugs again.

She looks shocked, "Really Tom? You don't like anyone at all?"

"No." he says, holding back his instinct to say _no one but you._

She sighs, "Are you planning on asking anyone?"

"I wasn't even planning on going Ella."

She moves closer and smiles at him, a glint in her eyes, "Are you going to go now?"

"Do you want me to go?" he asks, staring into her eyes. She nods silently. "Then I'll go."

She throws her arms around his neck, pulling him in and hugging him tightly.

"Why are you so happy about it?" he asks suspiciously.

"I just really thought you ought to go. It's our first chance to go to the Yule Ball."

* * *

><p>It's only later that night when Tom walks up to his room and sees the package resting on his bed that he understands why Eleanor wanted him to go to ball so badly. She'd already bought him the dress robes, and she probably just hadn't wanted them to go to waste.<p>

He pulled out the robes and tried them on, smirking because Eleanor knew just what he would like and what would look good on him. Slytherin colors. Of course.

As he's putting the dress robes back in the box, he noticed that a note has fallen out. He picks it up from the floor.

_Thank you for going. Now go and find yourself a date. - Ella_

He's happy about the gift, but at the same time he feels a bit angry. For a moment back in Hogsmeade, he'd actually thought she was asking because she was interested in going with him. Because she wanted him to be there with her. Which was why he had agreed to go. He'd nourished the hope that she actually liked him back for a second – that she'd only agreed to go with Malfoy because he had asked her first.

But no. She had already bought the dress robes for him and hadn't wanted them to go unused. She had just been trying to be a _friend_ – which was not at all what he wanted anymore.

He decided that, since he hated the fact that she was going to the ball with Malfoy, it was only fair for her to hate his date. And he knew just the perfect girl to ask to ensure that Eleanor would freak out the second he told her who his date was.

* * *

><p>Eleanor is picking at her food the next morning at breakfast. Abraxas is late again. Tom is sitting next to her, eating calmly, when she finally gives into her curiosity and turns to ask, "So, have you found a date yet?"<p>

"Yes," he answers in between bites.

"And would you like to tell me who?"

"Black."

"Black?"

"Yes."

"As in _Lucretia_ Black?"

"Yes," he passively answers.

Her expression hints at betrayal, "As in, the twit who ruined my favorite scarf by lighting it on fire during charms last week?"

"Yes."

She concentrates hard to turn her face into a blank slate, concealing the fact that she suspects that Tom is just _trying_ to bother her this time. Tom adopts the same tactic a few minutes later, when Malfoy walks in and kisses her on the cheek before saying good morning. Malfoy somehow wedges his way between them, holding Eleanor's hand as he sits down.

"And how are you doing this morning doll? All set for the ball now?" Abraxas asks, smiling over at her and acting as if Riddle doesn't exist.

"All set," she says, smiling back. Tom nearly chokes on his food.

"So on Saturday we'll meet inside the common room at 7:45?" Abraxas asks before starting to eat.

Eleanor looks over at Tom, who is giving her a look that shows just how much he protests. He will have no hope of doing his tie correctly and getting on his cufflinks without her to help. She returns the look to show that she understands.

Turning back to Abraxas again, she says, "I'll meet you at the Entrance Hall, okay? It will be less crowded."

Abraxas nods. They continue breakfast mostly in silence until Abraxas and Eleanor leave early for History of Magic. As Tom gets up to leave a few minutes later, Lucretia seemingly sprints up to him and starts one of her pointless conversations, this time about how perfect the ball is going to be. Even though he has to cringe his way through the conversation, Tom makes it through pretending he is happy all the way to History of Magic class. Tom purposely takes the seat on Eleanor's left, meaning that there is no space for Lucretia to sit next to him.

* * *

><p>The week has passed without much of note outside of attending classes, writing essays, and staring longingly at their outfits for the Yule Ball.<p>

On Friday night, around 7 P.M., as Tom is getting dressed, there's a faint knock at his door. He finishes buttoning his trousers and pulls on his dress shirt before answering it. Eleanor walks in, a shared glance replacing any words between them. She looks at her own reflection in the mirror for a second before turning back to him and beginning to button his shirt for him, bitting her lip as she focuses. He tries to ignore the feeling of her fingers brushing against his chest and instead reaches over for the cufflinks. She continues up his shirt before moving on to fix his tie and smooth the lapels down. He hands her the cufflinks and she takes them carefully, putting each one on slowly.

"All ready?" she asks with a slight smile as she looks up at him.

He hugs her, pushing her back against the wall, his body close to hers as he leans his head down to rest at the crook of her neck. He mumbles, "I changed my mind."

"About what?" she asks curiously, reaching up to fix his hair to no avail.

"Going to the ball. Why don't we just stay here?"

She tries to sound authoritative, but she's still smirking, "Because, Tom, I haven't changed my mind. And anyway, we both have dates waiting for us in the Entrance Hall. It might not be taken so well if we never show up."

He looks up at her, his eyes pleading even though he refuses to do so with his words, "Will you let me have the first dance?"

Her eyes move away as she's surprised by the insistent look in his eyes. She just nods.

"Be good," He says with one kiss on her forehead.

They don't say another word to each other as they float out of the room and down the stairs to the common room, and then through the corridors to the Entrance Hall, walking side by side, Tom holding her hand. He lets go just as they enter the hall and see Malfoy and Black standing in a sea of other people waiting for their dates. They separate in silence, Tom moving off to one side to (_grudgingly_) meet Lucretia, Eleanor smiling as she walks closer to Malfoy.

They next meet on the dance floor about twenty minutes later, stepping forward to waltz with each other. Tom can sense all of the professors watching them. He looks over to see Dippet smiling at him while Dumbledore looks on with an unreadable expression. Following gentlemanly tradition, he bows down and kisses her hand at the end of the dance.

They separate again with one last all-knowing glance at each other, retreating back to different sides of the dance floor.

The ball goes along as expected until about thirty minutes before it's supposed to be over, when, as they're dancing, Abraxas leans forward and whispers to Eleanor, "Follow me, but don't make it obvious doll."

She nods in understanding and pretends to be going to get a drink, all the while watching as Abraxas slips out of the doors of the Great Hall unnoticed. She follows his lead, creeping up along the side of the wall and opening the door just enough for her to be able to slip out.

She sees his blonde hair disappear around a corner and follows, wondering what he's up to. After walking down the hallway, she notices one of the doors propped open a little, so she enters the abandoned classroom, scanning her eyes over the desks pushed in to one corner of the room before looking over at Abraxas, who's sitting on top of the teacher's desk. She walks over, standing in front of him.

"So, finally found the perfect opportunity to murder me?" She asks, her lips quirking into a smirk.

He chuckles, "Way too obvious. I just wanted a minute alone. It was getting too stuffy in there."

She laughs, "And this dusty classroom is less stuffy?"

"I don't mind as long as you're here," he says, pulling her in closer to him with his arms around her waist.

She stares up at him, her eyes wide and shinning in the dim light flowing from the dusty windows. He can't hold back for another second – he leans forward, his lips moving ever closer to hers as he stares admiringly at her.

**"Men love because they are afraid of themselves, afraid of the loneliness that lives in them, and need someone in whom they can lose themselves as smoke loses itself in the sky."  
>— V.F. Calverton<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Cliffhanger! Gasp. The next chapter will be up very soon though, it just needs a few tweaks and final editing :)

Next update will be just an author's note, which will explain a change in rating of the story that will occur with the next chapter. A few minutes after that, the actual chapter will be posted. Since it's already written, the next chapter will be up _tomorrow_, as long as I don't end up having something to do. The next chapter after that will also be up pretty quickly, I just have to add a little bit of transition to what I've already written. However, I do want to update my other stories just as frequently as this one.

I still don't like this chapter very much. I feel like it's pretty boring. Tom is nicer here, mostly out of necessity, so this is kind of a glance back to how their friendship was before Hogwarts. I feel almost like he's a little out of character for some of this, but the next chapter will also make up for that. Definitely not some of my best work, but I really like the writing of the next chapter. Besides, I am just proud I managed to get this chapter up on time, since this has been a crazy week for me.

As always, I will remind everyone to go to my profile and look at the two other stories I've just started. One is a Tom Riddle/OC story with a very different plot, the other is a Oliver Wood/OC story. It would be much appreciated.

Thank you for reading :) Please review if you have any questions/comments/constructive criticism/requests/kind words.


	9. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Though it is not stated or graphically described, the next chapter does bring up the topic of sexual assault. It is important for readers to understand that this topic should not be glorified or belittled. It is a painful experience and happens to many people every day. As such, I have tried to be faithful to the characters' reactions to it, though all knowledge is from a second hand basis.

Since this is only the first of several sensitive topics that will come up during this story, the rating has been changed to M. None of these topics will be graphically described, however if any of my readers would like to talk to me about these portrayals, I will respond as quickly as possible to any IMs. If these topics bring up deep emotions for you, I would also like you to know that I, along with several other websites, help lines, and chat boards, am available to speak to about your feelings.

Mainly, this story is a look into _what_ made Tom Riddle into Lord Voldemort. It is important for readers to understand that both main characters have severe psychological issues, which will be explored later. This is a _tragic_ love story. As such, there will be a lot of sensitive issues featured in the story. The relationship between Eleanor and Tom is, at most times, not a healthy one, and therefore readers should not aspire to replicate it. In no way am I trying to promote such relationships through writing this story.

_Hope you enjoy the next chapter! Remember, I am always here to talk :)_


	10. On Edge

**"We choose our destiny in the way we treat others." - Wit**

Just as their lips are about to touch, Eleanor pulls away. She isn't quite sure why she did so at first – she just knows she had felt something not quite right about the impending kiss.

"First kiss?" Abraxas asks quietly, still lingering close to her, even though he is worried about the fact that she's shied away. She shakes her head no. He frowns, "Then what's wrong?"

She swallows. She knows she can't tell him what Tom did to her, so she just whispers, "The first one wasn't that great."

He chuckles playfully, pulling her in as close as he can, "Don't worry about it, this one will be."

"It was rather bad actually," she states, her voice shaking.

Rather bad. What an understatement. Tom had stolen her first kiss from her. Not just stolen it, but hurt her in the process. She thinks back to that moment and flinches, moving farther away from Abraxas. She doesn't want this. No, it isn't Abraxas that she doesn't want. She doesn't want anyone to kiss her _ever_ again. Not after that first kiss.

He smiles softly, "It will be fine doll."

She shakes her head, "I don't want to. At least not right now."

_Not ever_, she thinks.

"I promise I won't be rough on you. I'll stop whenever you say to stop. Nothing will get out of your control," he whispers softly, trying to bring her back to him.

She can't get rid of the nervous edge in her tone, "I...I just can't."

Abraxas' eyes narrow, "What did he do?"

"What?" she asks perplexed.

"Riddle. What did he do? Did he threaten you? Tell you not to kiss me? Or did he just tell you you weren't allowed to speak with me? I've noticed you've been avoiding me lately."

She looks away, wanting to protect Tom, "He didn't tell me not to do anything."

"Then why are you so scared?"

"I just...I..." She doesn't know what to say. She knows it's silly, the way she's feeling right then. Maybe if she kisses him now, kissing won't be ruined for her forever. Maybe it will make up for Tom stealing her first kiss. She really does like Abraxas after all.

"It's okay," he says softly, pulling her in but making sure his arms are loose enough for her to move away if she wants to, "We don't have to if you don't want to."

She rests her head on his shoulder, "I _like_ you Abraxas."

He smiles, "Glad to hear it. I would say I like you too, but I'm positive those aren't strong enough words to describe my feelings."

She smiles softly, "You're just trying to charm me."

"No, I am not doll. You're wonderful."

She blushes at his words, "Abraxas?"

"What?" he says soothingly.

"Kiss me," she whispers, looking back up at him.

He moves his face closer to hers, but as they're lips are about an inch apart, he feels a force stopping him. He tries to move closer, but looks puzzled when he can't. It's like there's some kind of barrier around her lips. He pulls away, his brow furrowed with frustration.

She looks up at him, confused, "What's wrong?"

"I can't kiss you," he says, frowning.

"Well, I said you can, so..."

"No, I mean, I really _can't_ kiss you. As in, I cannot physically reach your lips."

"What?" she reaches up and touches her own lips with her fingertips, "But I can touch them. Why can't you?"

He reaches out and touches a fingertip to the corner of her lips, then says, "I can _touch_ them, I just can't _kiss_ them."

"That doesn't make any sense," she says.

His eyes suddenly light up as he realizes something. He asks, "Who was your first kiss?"

She frowns, "I don't think that's any of your business"

"Well, was he a wizard?" he asks impatiently. She nods and he looks down at the floor before continuing, "He must have claimed you. People usually do it after marriage, but I suppose one could cast it after any first physical encounter."

"Claimed? What the hell is that?" she asks, confusion written on her face.

"Did he put a spell on you?"

She thinks back to the train ride to school, when Tom had waved his wand and murmured something before he touched her lips with his fingertips. He'd said he hadn't done anything when she'd asked, but clearly their definitions of _anything_ were different. She says, "I think he might have."

"Then he claimed you."

"What is that?" she asks again.

"It means that no one else can kiss you until one of you takes the claim off."

"Well how do I take it off?"

He's about to tell her when he stops to think for a second. Finally, he stutters out, "I...I have to know first. Was it Riddle?"

She blushes, "Why do you have to know?"

"Obviously, it was. I won't tell you how if it was him. He'll feel it being taken off, and he'll know that I was the one to kiss you."

"So?" she says, staring at him incredulously.

"Be realistic Eleanor," he says, not wanting to admit out loud that he's scared of what Riddle will do to him if he kisses Eleanor.

"You won't kiss me just because of this?" He shakes his head. She stares at him for a while before saying, "Then at least tell me how to take it off."

"You have to touch your wand to your lips and then say 'ego sum solvo'."

"Can he do it again?"

"No."

She does the spell, feeling as if a weight has been lifted from on top of her lips immediately.

* * *

><p>Tom gasps as he feels his lips tingling. She'd removed the spell. How <em>dare<em> she. He looks around the room for her, but both Eleanor and Abraxas are gone. Frowning, he resigns himself to the fact that he will have to wait until later to get his revenge. When Eleanor and Abraxas return to the ball, dancing together again, Tom pretends not to notice. He gives her an hour or so of peace - trying to bate her into thinking that she was just fine, and that he wouldn't do anything to her for removing the spell. Or to Abraxas for undoubtedly kissing her.

As Dippet announces the last dance, Tom walks toward Eleanor and asks her to dance with him. Even though Abraxas is glaring at him (it's _his_ date after all, it should be his last dance too), Tom takes Eleanor's hand and nearly pulls her to the dance floor. Tom draws her close to him as the song begins. They don't say anything to each other until the last few seconds of the dance, when Tom leans into her and menacingly whispers, "Wait for me in my room. We have something to _talk_ about."

"And what would that be?" she asks boldly, ignoring the scowl on his face.

"You will see Ella," he says before walking back to Lucretia. He watches Eleanor and Abraxas walk out, glaring at the fact that Abraxas is holding her hand, while Lucretia drones on about how amazing the ball was. Well, if Eleanor was going to go about with another boy, Tom was going to play with another girl.

Tom turns to Lucretia and smiles handsomely at her before saying, "Why don't we take a little stroll about the halls before going back to our common room?"

Lucretia nods eagerly, catching on to exactly what he's suggesting. Tom delights in the image of Eleanor waiting nervously for him in his room while he pulls Lucretia into an alcove near the potions classroom. He nearly chuckles as he imagines Eleanor, pacing around in his room, while he's kissing Lucretia. Fifteen minutes seemed like a reasonable time to keep Eleanor waiting, after what she had done that night. His hands run over Lucretia's body, ignoring the fact that she's nowhere near as gorgeous as Eleanor.

* * *

><p>Eleanor bites her lip, finally resigning herself to sitting on Tom's bed. She looks at the clock and discovers that it is rounding on ten minutes since she had arrived. She had stood awkwardly with Abraxas in the common room for a few minutes, talking like they did when they were just friends, as if he had never tried to kiss her. She had waited until Abraxas went up to his room before going up to Tom's, glad that no one was around to see her and get the wrong idea about what she was doing.<p>

She sighs. Where could Tom be? She knew he was probably keeping her waiting on purpose, to frazzle her nerves, so she tried to calm down. She didn't want to be in a state when he finally walked in. That would no doubt only make their ensuing argument even worse. She was already a bit upset that Abraxas hadn't wanted to kiss her, and confused about whether he really liked her, and now she had to deal with Tom's anger. Well, maybe he wouldn't be angry. Maybe he really just wanted to talk to her. After all, she could see no reason for Tom to be angry about her removing the spell. It wasn't as if they liked each other that way. Perhaps he just wanted to question her about Abraxas.

She opens her eyes as the door finally opens. She looks up into Tom's eyes and suddenly realizes that she made a mistake sitting down. She's in the same position she was in when he forced her to kiss him at the orphanage. Her mind is racing, but not quickly enough for her to realize she should stand up before Tom reaches her. He straddles her, his knees on either side of her legs, and leans forward to glare at her. She tries to move backwards, away from his touch, and give herself space to get off the bed, but she feels her head hit the wall after she scoots only a few centimeters up. He moves closer to her, his chest touching hers. She tries to reach up and shove him away, but he grabs her arms and pushes them back against the headboard. She's trapped yet again.

"Why did you take it off?" he whispers menacingly, his lips only a few inches from hers.

"Because I wanted to kiss Abraxas," she responds, trying not to look scared.

"I'm going to hurt him," he says, his eyes cold.

"Don't bother. He wouldn't kiss me."

"Smarter than he looks. Now, what should I do with you?" he asks, a small smirk on his face.

She flinches as he gets even closer to her and his eyes become more intense, "I didn't do anything wrong."

"You broke our rules," He says, his voice strong as he references the rules they had agreed to during the first week of school.

"No, I didn't. There aren't any rules about kissing," she says, trying not to look at his penetrating eyes.

"I told you that you weren't allowed to do anything I disapproved of. I _very much _disapprove of you trying to kiss Malfoy. I also told you that you weren't to contradict me – and if I put a spell on you that you took off, you are clearly contradicting my wishes."

She squirms as his grip on her arms tightens, "Why would you disapprove of me kissing Malfoy? And perhaps if you told me you'd put the spell on me in the first place, I wouldn't have taken it off."

"Another rule – you aren't to question me. Three rules in one night. That deserves quite a lot of punishment." She tried to move away from him, failing as she hit the headboard again and again. He smirked as he said, "And now you're trying to get away from me – isn't another rule that if I want something you're supposed to let me have it? That's four rules broken now. If I touch you, you are not to try to move away ever again. Understood?"

She shook her head to indicate that she didn't agree. She could feel his fingertips burning her skin again, his gaze penetrating her eyes. She tried to keep her voice calm as she said, "I don't want you to touch me."

"Do you think I care about what you want?" he hissed. He let go of her arms, grabbing her wrists with one hand and holding them up over her head. After reaching for his wand, he pointed it at her neck.

Her eyes were full of fear as she said, "Please don't hurt me Tom."

He smirked, leaning forward to whisper to her, "It will be a different kind of pain this time."

As he pushed his lips against hers as hard as he could, he dragged his wand down the front of her dress, causing it to rip and fall away from her body. She was exposed to him now. He moved his lips down to her neck as his hands moved down her body, pushing the fabric of her dress farther away from her skin as he ran his hands along her chest. She gasped when she felt his hand on her breasts.

"Please Tom," she whispered. He smirked as he moved his hand further down her body. She squirmed, trying to get away from him.

"What did I say about not moving away?" he hisses, his tone cold.

"Please," she gasps, not knowing how far Tom will go this time.

"You are not to try to move away from me ever again. Understand?"

"Yes," she yelled out. She would say anything to end this mood of his. She expected him to stop but he didn't, his lips returning to hers and kissing her fervently as his fingers toyed with the edge of her underwear.

"Apologize to me for what you did tonight," he whispered against her lips.

"I thought you were going to stop," she whispers, trying to twist her skin away from his mouth.

His lips return to her neck, leaving marks down to her collarbone. He hisses once again, "I told you not to move away. Five mistakes in one night. Apologize to me."

"I'm sorry Tom! I'm sorry! Please stop," she calls out frantically, feeling his fingers pushing the lace border of her underwear downward. His hand moves back to her waist, gripping it firmly.

"You will not talk to Abraxas Malfoy again until I give you permission, understand?"

She let out the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, "Yes."

"The only exception to that rule is that you will speak to him in potions on Monday. You will tell him that letting him attempt to kiss you was a mistake, and that you are not attracted to him in any way. You will tell him that you two are strictly potions partners, not friends or anything more than that."

She nods her head, "Yes. Tom, please, let..."

He ignores her, already knowing what she's going to ask. He continues saying, "You will stick to what I told you to say and nothing more, even if Malfoy tries to argue. And you will never ask me to let you go again."

She nods, but doesn't say anything. He drops her wrists, his other hand also coming to rest on her waist, feeling the curves of her smooth skin. His lips go back down to her neck, marking his territory with a few bites. Obviously, Malfoy hasn't gotten the message that Eleanor _belongs_ to him yet. Tom will just have to make it a little bit more obvious. He wants a reaction from her too. He wants to feel the hum of her beautiful voice as his lips rest on her neck.

"Tom, can I please go back to my room? I'm tired," she says softly, no emotion in her voice. He knows she just wants to leave, wants to get away from him and his cold hands and persistent mouth. He feels angrier than ever at this revelation, especially after he glances up to discover a look of well-hidden disgust on her face.

He finally lets go of her, feeling his stomach drop as her face shows how relieved she is. He slips off of her and tries to distract himself by focusing on undressing. He refuses to look at her as he says, "You'll sleep here tonight."

"But I don't have any clothes to wear," she says, the only excuse she can think of that may make him allow her to leave.

He just shrugs. She resigns herself to the fact that she will have to do as he says, despite the fact that she still feels dirty from his hands trailing all over her body. She slips into the bed, drawing the cover over herself and trying to protect her barely clothed body the best she can. She realizes that her hands are still shaking and tries to calm down. He didn't do anything to her after all. She had actually been quite lucky to get away with so little – just a few new rules and perhaps a few newly formed bruises.

When he slides into bed next to her, his boxers and unbuttoned dress shirt still on, and puts his arms around her, she can't help but start shaking again. He glares down at her before saying, "Are you already breaking our new rules?"

She shakes her head, her mouth shut tightly, her face impassive, so that he doesn't see the fear she's feeling. She isn't exactly sure what he had been planning to do to her before, but she knew she was lucky enough to convince him to choose a less harsh punishment, and she definitely did not want to experience whatever he had thought of doing.

Tom pulls her closer, despite the fact that she grimaces when their bare skin touches. His voice is sharp as he says, "You know, you could stand to look not completely miserable right now. We are best friends after all. I don't see why you should be looking as if you're being forced to kiss a rat."

"And isn't this a bit odd, for friends?" she whispers, careful to keep her tone calm so her words won't provoke him.

His eyes narrow, "It's that git Malfoy, isn't it? He's got these silly little thoughts in your head now, trying to get you to do everything he judges is proper. I sincerely hope you really do not like _him_, because he's about to have a few very painful accidents."

"It wasn't him," she immediately jumps to say, "It's just...people look at us oddly."

"Let them look. You know they're simply jealous."

She looks away, signaling that she hasn't got an argument. After all, they have been this close since they were little, he's just never been so insistent on holding her hand. They were unusually close their whole lives, it just wasn't until that summer that Eleanor started to be uncomfortable with it. It wasn't the actual contact she minded, she was fine with the feeling of his skin against hers, used to it even. It was the force behind the contact. The way he kissed her so hard that she felt like her lips would begin to bleed. The way he touched her so hard that she always got bruises. The way he squeezed her hand when he grabbed it. It felt as if he was assaulting her.

"Tired? Kiss me goodnight then," he says with a smirk, delighting in the fact that she paled at the suggestion and enjoying the fear in her eyes. He would have her under control for quite a while after this.

"Tom, I..." she begins, thinking hard for a way out of this.

"Are you going to question me?" he asks, his tone cold. When she blushes and looks away, he says, "Come on then."

She presses her lips timidly against his for a second. When he senses that she's about to move away after just a few seconds, he pulls her to him and forces her mouth open. She's shivering again by the time he lets her go to catch his breath.

"Goodnight," she whispers before closing her eyes. The feel of her hot breath against his lips makes him want to kiss her again, but he tries to control himself. He knows he'll have no explanation for it this time - no claim to lay, no fear to inspire, no punishment to deal out.

"Goodnight Ella."

Tom stays awake after watching Eleanor drift off to sleep. When he's sure that she is deep asleep, he stands and puts back on his uniform. He'd nearly forgot about punishing Malfoy. They had just learned about three very interesting curses in Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Tom particularly wanted to know a little more about one of them.

He strode out and knocked on the door of Malfoy's room, just a few doors down the same hallway. When Abraxas answers the door, he looks tired, but it's obvious that he hasn't had any sleep yet. He steps aside to let Tom in. Most foolish move of the night, but it could have been just as foolish to start their fight out in the hallway.

"I was wondering what was taking you so long. Eleanor, apparently. I can smell her perfume on you," Abraxas says, pretending to be calm. Tom sees the hints of jealousy in Malfoy's eyes and laughs at him. How silly this boy is, to think that he has some claim over Eleanor. Flinching at the insane-sounding laugh, Malfoy continues, "Anyway, I didn't kiss her, so there's nothing for you to be angry about. She was the one that wanted to take the claim off, so I simply informed her how. Nothing more than she could have easily learned from a book."

"But you did try to kiss her, didn't you? Otherwise she wouldn't have discovered the claim, and she wouldn't have taken it off," Tom says, laying the logic for his punishment.

"I tried, but I didn't. I warned her not to take it off," Malfoy says, his voice shaky despite his best efforts to hide his fear.

"So you don't deny trying to kiss Eleanor?"

"No, I don't deny it."

"Even though you knew I would have a problem with that?"

"Yes."'

"Are you attracted to her?"

"I..." Malfoy stops. He doesn't know whether to lie or to admit the truth. Riddle would certainly catch a lie though. There was also no doubt in Malfoy's mind that Eleanor had already told Riddle that he did like her, so there was really no point in lying either. He tries to sound strong as he says, "I think I love her."

Tom smirks, a cruel red spark lighting his dark eyes. "In that case..._Crucio_."

Malfoy gasps out in pain and falls to the floor. Tom smirks as he watches Malfoy flail about on the ground. Eleanor is attracted to Abraxas because she believes he is strong – stronger than Tom is – but now Abraxas is at his mercy, his physical strength unable to beat Tom's magical ability.

After watching Malfoy struggle for a few minutes, Tom lifts the curse. He smirks at a breathless Malfoy, body still convulsing on the floor, as he says, "I think you know what I want."

"I'm not going to apologize for loving her. I don't regret it," Malfoy finally gasps out after regaining his breath.

Tom curses him again, waiting until Malfoy has lost consciousness to lift the curse. He erases Malfoy's memory of the incident, only leaving the memory of the pain as a warning. All the better for Malfoy not to apologize; his heart would only be broken twice as badly on Monday when Eleanor tells him she's never really been attracted to him.

* * *

><p>Eleanor sat nervously in potions on Monday. Of course it was just her luck that this was the last day of classes left before the students were allowed to leave for the Christmas holidays the next day.<p>

She had purposely forgotten her book and ran back to her room to get it, which had ensured that she had arrived just on time for class instead of being forced to sit politely next to Abraxas waiting for the lesson to start. But now she was stuck sitting next to Abraxas while Slughorn talked about how to make wit-sharpening potion at the front of the class. She had already dealt with ten minutes of feeling both Tom's and Abraxas' eyes on her - feeling Tom's forceful stare pushing her to do as he said, but Abraxas' soft gaze making her want to spare him the pain.

Finally, Slughorn dismisses them to brew the potion. She starts chopping up the ginger root, refusing to look at Abraxas.

"About what happened at the ball..." Abraxas starts, his voice calm.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," Eleanor says, hoping to hold off their mandatory conversation until there were less people around.

"Then when are we going to talk about it?" Abraxas says, his tone harsh, "Because I have a feeling I won't be seeing you around very often if Riddle gets his way."

"Trust me, you do not want to talk about it right now," she says, her tone cold.

"I think I do," Abraxas says insistently as he leans over her to throw the ginger root in the cauldron. He grabs the armadillo bile and begins mixing it in, while she begins grinding the scarab beetles.

She refuses to look up at Abraxas even though she can practically feel him staring at her. She sighs as the memory of Tom's voice buzzes through her mind, _"You will tell him that letting him attempt to kiss you was a mistake, and that you are not attracted to him in any way. You will tell him that you two are strictly potions partners, not friends or anything more than that."_

"I'm not going to say that we can still be friends after the ball," Abraxas says sternly, "Honestly, I wish I had kissed you. I know we can't just be friends after that. I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me next weekend."

She simply says, "No."

"You don't want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" he asks, sounding angry.

"No, we can't be friends."

"So you will go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"No, I can't go to Hogsmeade with you. And no, we can't be friends, or anything else for that matter," she says, trying to keep her voice calm as she throws the ground beetles in to the potion, "But I hope that, since we still have to be potions partners, you won't be too angry."

"You _hope_ I won't be too angry?" Malfoy yells out, "You're basically telling me that I can't _ever_ talk to you again outside of potions and you hope I won't be too angry about it? What the _hell_ kind of world are you living in if you think it's okay to just tell someone that you never want to talk to them again as if you were telling them what you had for breakfast?"

The entire classroom was staring at them. Slughorn looks up from his desk before saying, "Abraxas, would you like to take a break from class?"

Abraxas looks at Slughorn, his eyes cold, "No thank you professor."

"Stop making a scene," Eleanor hisses.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he says sarcastically, "It's just a little confusing that you _told_ me to kiss you only during the ball, and today you tell me you never want to speak to me outside of class!"

He was still being loud. People were still staring. Well, at least Tom wouldn't need to interrogate Eleanor about her conversation with Abraxas.

"That was a mistake. I shouldn't have even allowed you to try to kiss me," she says, her voice barely more than a whisper, "because I am not attracted to you at all."

Abraxas seemed taken aback. He was screaming again now. His voice felt like ice cold water drowning her as he shouts, "What is _wrong_ with you? You told me you liked me on Saturday and now you suddenly don't even want to look at me! I spent four bloody years trying to get you to like me, and now you just take it back like that night didn't even matter."

"I don't like you. I never did. Last night was a mistake," she repeats, trying to keep calm despite the pressure of everybody in the room staring at her.

"A mistake! Is that what your going to keep calling it? What was the mistake Eleanor? Was it falling for me, or was it letting Riddle find out? You two are so bloody disgusting. Don't think I didn't see you leaving his room this morning. So how long have you two been fu -"

Slughorn stands up, trying to drown out Malfoy's voice as he yells, "Abraxas Malfoy! You need to step outside of this classroom and calm down."

Eleanor stands up, smiling as if she hasn't been phased at all by Abraxas' words, "No need professor. I'm going to go outside for a minute - I'll be back before our potion finishes simmering."

Abraxas turns to her while she's walking out. He seems more furious than ever as he screams, "You are a royal bitch, Eleanor! You _deserve_ Tom Riddle."

For decades to come, he would feel guilty about those words.

* * *

><p>Eleanor is leaning against the cold dungeon walls across the hallway from the potions classroom, focusing all her attention on the cold coursing through her so she wouldn't begin to cry while repeating Malfoy's words in her head.<p>

She looks up as she hears the door to the classroom creak open. To her surprise, it isn't Tom or Abraxas.

"Ms. Jouteur, I am very sorry about what just happened. However, you must understand that, at this point in the year, I cannot change partners," Slughorn says, his voice stern.

She stares at him, not bothering to hide the contempt in her eyes, "Aren't you at least going to take house points or give him detention? Did you _hear_ what he called me?"

"I can assure you that I will deal with Mr. Malfoy accordingly. However, if you do not return to class and aid your partner in finishing your potion, you will not receive credit."

She scowls as she walks past him and back into the classroom. Everyone's staring at her again. She can see Tom fuming in the back of the classroom, pushing Lucretia's arm away from his as she tries to whisper something to him. She can see Malfoy pouting at their table. She walks past him without a word and finishes their potion. As soon as Slughorn comes over and checks that their potion is done, Eleanor picks up her bag and walks out of class, despite the fact that she hasn't officially been excused. Slughorn stares after her, but decides to let her off; the girl has had quite a day it seems.

**We read the world wrong and say that it deceives us. - Rabindranath Tagore**

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: So, we are finally starting to see Tom becoming more evil. This is still a sub-plot to the main story though, so plenty more chapters to come. I like this chapter a lot more than the previous two, mostly due to the action. I'm proud of how I wrote the potions class scene, and that last line by Malfoy because, as you will see, it's going to play a big part _much_ later in the story.

I have decided that I need to write a Christmas Break chapter. Any suggestions for events that occur in it? I would be happy to write something suggested by one of you in the reviews, just remember that the relationship between Tom and Eleanor will be a bit strained after this. I think I'm also going to take that chapter to put in some serious characterization monologues.

Next chapter should be up by the _28th_, if not earlier because I'm going to have a ton of free time next week. If your impatient, check to see whether my other stories have been updated, because I'll try updating those before I update this one again. As always, I will remind everyone to go to my profile and look at the two other stories I've just started. One is a Tom Riddle/OC story with a very different plot, the other is a Oliver Wood/OC story. It would be much appreciated.

Thank you for reading :) Please review if you have any questions/comments/constructive criticism/suggestions/kind words.


	11. Perception is Reality

**Someone is special only if you tell them. - Byron Pulsifer**

Abraxas Malfoy sighed as he sat in the drawing room of his family's manor. Alone for Christmas holidays yet again. He should've figured this would happen.

"Still mopping about that twit?" A harsh voice asks from the doorway, "Don't blame her one bit. Riddle is ten times as handsome as you are."

Well not exactly _alone_. His cousin was so very charming. Why the hell did his parents have to stick him with her today, when they already knew the foul mood he had been in since he had come home?

He groaned as he poured himself another glass of firewhiskey. Well, he needed _something_ to numb his thoughts enough that he wouldn't keep thinking about how stupid he was not to kiss Eleanor when he had the chance.

He spared a glance over at Lucretia, "First of all, dear cousin, not everyone is as shallow as you are. Secondly, she is not a twit."

"Quite generous for someone you called a royal bitch last week," she pointed out with a smirk.

"I'm sorry that you didn't realize it what with your _enormous_ intellect, but that remark was aimed at you," he responded venomously.

"Told mommy and daddy how you're befriending of the charity case went yet? Or are you too afraid of them knowing you failed them in making allies with the only remaining descendent of one of the oldest wizarding families in Britain?" He winced, and Lucretia knew she had gotten him. She nearly purred, "Oh, you haven't told them yet? Perhaps I should! I know how much they would just _love_ to hear that you nearly called her a slag in front of half our year."

"That is family business, Lucretia," he responded evenly.

"But I am part of the family," she responded with a sincerely fake expression.

"She hates you just as much as she hates me."

"I'd beg to differ. Looked like she was about to use an unforgivable on you right before she walked out. She's only ever sent a few unpleasant curses my way."

"Regardless, I think we'd both rather not tell our parents we've already failed," he admitted truthfully.

"I've already told mine. Weren't very surprised after I pointed out how Riddle nearly _stuck_ to her. Which, by the way is very bothersome for my plan of getting him to myself. I nearly had him after the ball! If only you had manged to not screw up so royally," she sighs at the thought, but continues a few seconds later, "You, on the other hand, were so very sure you could charm her away. I must ask, was all that _really_ just for the benefit of your parents?"

"Of course," he responded, face completely impassive.

He didn't mind that he had lied to Lucretia. What he really minded was that what he had said was a lie. If it had been true, he would have found this latest disappointment much easier to deal with. Had this all been purely an act for his parents, purely an in to being friends with a very powerful family, he wouldn't have been this crushed. But no, he had actually had the courage to _like_ her. More than he had ever liked anyone else. To love her even.

And she had just torn his heart out.

He couldn't help but think that this must have something to do with Riddle. Even so, he couldn't quite pinpoint how. Perhaps it was because he was too afraid to face the possibility that she really had preferred Riddle all this time and only pitied Abraxas enough to grace him with a date.

He looked back at the fire, wishing that he could throw his own heart into it – the dull ache in his chest was becoming so bad that it seemed like his heart would be more useful as fuel for the fire than as torture for his body.

* * *

><p>Eleanor sighed as she stared at the fire in the Slytherin common room, laying the book that was in her hands down in her lap. She was so <em>bored<em>. She would have never been this bored if she still had Abraxas. But it wasn't good for her to think of him. Especially with Tom only a few feet away from her, doing some work while sitting in an armchair.

"I'm going to go take a walk around the grounds," she says before standing.

"Take my cloak. Be back in time for lunch," Tom says. She pulls the winter cloak off the side of his chair while walking past.

A chill runs through her as she steps out of the Great Hall. The snow crunches under her feet as she walks toward the Quidditch pitch, but she hardly notices which direction she's going in as she's enveloped in the haze of her own thoughts.

She and Tom had never really been the same after the night of the Yule Ball. She had spent a long time contemplating the meaning of his behavior – she just couldn't get over the ghost of the feeling of his lips on hers, his hands on her bare skin. She would have nightmares about it, his lips taking hers again, burning her up until she irrupted in flames, or his fingers skimming over her skin, leaving bleeding gashes behind. Every time she woke up gasping for breath, she would have to look down and make sure that her nightmare hadn't really come true.

Of course, Tom had noticed the nightmares and thought he could comfort her by bringing her up to his bed. She had always felt safer sleeping in his arms and, though he had saved her from many nightmares about her parents, he couldn't erase these bad dreams from her mind. His presence only made it all worse – the dreams now ended with the gashes on her skin erupting in flames as the fire from his lips consumed her within, an eerie feeling of death looming just before she would wake up with tears on her cheeks. Her heavy breathing would wake Tom too. He would hold her and tell her that it was all going to be okay, that he was always going to be there for her, that he would always protect her – he had assumed the nightmares must be about her parents again, and she didn't tell him otherwise.

Though he meant to make her feel better, it made her heart sink as she felt guilty for being afraid of her best friend. Sure, he had his outbursts, but he wasn't usually _that_ bad. He'd backed off a bit after that day in potions, and as soon as everyone had left for Christmas holidays, he'd gone back to being his usual self around her. But she still couldn't help the fear – and it was only made worse by that determined look in his eyes and the way he reminded her of what he had determined was proper every time there was even the possibility that she would step out of line. They were fine when they were alone – he was calm then. But as soon as they were in the company of others, he had his arm tightly around her waist and that look in his eyes.

She wondered if she would ever be allowed to be free of him for more than a few minutes. If she would ever be able to live a life without Tom Riddle. Not that she necessarily wanted to – he was still her best friend, after all. Still, it was inevitable that they would be separated some time and it was more than likely that, after they graduated Hogwarts, they'd each have to go their separate paths. She knew what she had in mind for after graduation already. She imagined traveling the world for a few years, getting a glimpse of all the wonders of different cultures, while writing a book – perhaps a children's book like her mother had written – or working as a reporter.

And though she had dreams of her future, she doubted she would ever be able to fulfill them. She wondered why she still harbored dreams of being able to be away from Tom. It wasn't like his being like this – refusing to allow her to be friends with other people and watching her every move – was anything new. There was a new ferocity to his protectiveness, but it too hardly came as a surprise anymore. She'd gotten used to Tom acting this way. Doing whatever he wanted to show her just how much he could control her, laying his claim on her through words and actions.

She scoffed at the whispers about them – of course Tom couldn't love her, Tom couldn't love _anyone_. She knew this because she knew him and she knew the way his mother hadn't been willing to live for him and she knew how that had ended his belief in love forever. Love was such a fragile thing – a thing that Tom himself had once said turned men into weak fools – and neither of them would ever take the chance of losing it again. Besides, Tom was no fan of emotions. There was no way he would let himself get caught up in such a silly ideal. Even getting him to admit they were friends had taken her six years.

They had never really questioned why they had each let the other in, even though they were so closed off to others. But she knew this wasn't love. It was some kind of coping. Everyone had to have some person in the world they trusted. Their friendship had almost been completely incidental, as they'd been nothing alike at first and would certainly not have become friends if they'd only met at Hogwarts. Their friendship had been a process – a process of learning to trust, care for, and be around another person after the paralyzing process of having nothing and no one. She could never imagine herself feeling any attraction to him, or the other way around. It was simply not in their natures to feel such things – they had been conditioned to place all emotions in a little box and put them away.

Even her escapades with the occasional boy had been more about wanting attention then wanting feelings. She loved the way they, like Malfoy, would look at her admiringly and smile at her words and crave her attention. But she didn't love them. No, she would never _love_ anyone again. She didn't need to feel that crippling sensation of lose again. However, she did trust Tom enough that she knew he, who had gone through the same sensation, would never just abandon her.

She shook her head, trying to stop thinking of Tom. Why was he always on her mind? She needed to worry about herself for once. All of this trouble with Tom had tired her out, and the physical signs were obvious – dark circles under her eyes, the way she always wrings her hands, the fact that she could spend minutes at a time just staring at the fire, processing nothing that Tom was telling her. She needed to relax. Then again, she had relaxed plenty in the last few days – all she had done was read and sit in the Slytherin common room.

She needed a life. She needed more friends – friends who could take her attention away from Tom for at least a few hours. She needed to get out and actually do something with her free time. Hopefully, things that normal teenagers (or at least normal magical teenagers) did, like watch quidditch and go to parties and create mischief all over the castle. What had happened to the Eleanor she had been before? The one who loved to run around and explore and seemed to have nearly unlimited energy. The one who would speak to anyone and loved to dress up.

But she had only ever been _that_ Eleanor when she wasn't around Tom. It was like his seriousness was contagious. Still, she wanted to be that Eleanor again. She wanted to show that side of her to the people at Hogwarts too, so that maybe they all wouldn't be too hesitant to speak to her.

Yes, she resolved. She would go a little crazy after break was over. She needed to, in order to make herself feel better. Even though she wasn't quite sure how to convince Tom that it was going to be okay for her to do, she would attend parties and quidditch games and talk to new people. Something needed to change in her life, and this was it. She would become a force to be reckoned with in Slytherin.

The sound of flags waving through the air finally snaps her out of her daze as she walks through the entrance to the pitch. She's surprised to see a figure flying through the air high above. The person flies down, landing in front of her.

The brown-haired boy looks at her, his blue eyes alight with curiosity, "What are you – oh, sorry, I saw the green and thought it might be one of the Slytherin quidditch players trying to spy on me."

She smirks, "Now why would any of us want to spy on a Gryffindor?"

He huffs his chest out as he tries to look proud, "For your information, I'm going to be the Gryffindor quidditch captain next year."

"Wonderful," she says, sarcasm dripping from her voice, "Have fun with that. Hope you aren't _hideously_ disfigured by one of the bludgers."

He suddenly looks down, a blush appearing on his cheeks, "You're that girl in potions."

She takes her first real look at him and immediately knows exactly what he means – he does sit only two rows behind her after all. Her voice is full of contempt as she says, "Yeah, I'm _that_ girl."

"Didn't mean it like that."

"Yes you did. Everyone always does."

"Abraxas Malfoy is a jerk anyway."

"Abraxas Malfoy is the kindest Slytherin around."

His blush deepens, "I was just trying to make you feel better."

"I don't need anyone to make me feel better," she says, her stubbornness temporarily back.

Even though it's the last reaction she expected, he smiles down at her again, "I'm sorry. Let's start over, okay? Hi, I'm Aiden Belvedere. I'm the keeper for Gryffindor."

"Eleanor Jouteur. I've got to go. Good luck with that whole captain thing."

He smirks as he calls after her, "Are you being sarcastic again?"

"No," she says as she rushes off. By the position of the sun, she knows she's already made Tom unhappy.

* * *

><p>The Great Hall is nearly empty when she gets in, out of breath from nearly running all the way to the castle. Even so, the only thing Tom declares as she takes the seat next to him at lunch is, "You're late."<p>

"Yes, I realized that," she says, surprised by how snappy she sounds.

"What kept you?" he drawls, picking at his remaining food with a fork.

"Nothing," she says, trying to sound believable, while putting some salad on her plate.

He's immediately suspicious. Whenever she says nothing, it really means nothing she wants him to know about. "Ella, tell me."

"I was just thinking about some things."

_Malfoy_. His mind instantly dug up the name as he subconsciously glared at his food. He tries to keep any bitterness from his tone but doesn't succeed, "What things?"

"Nothing important."

Once again, nothing she wants him to know about. He dropped the subject, seeing the annoyance written on her face through the slight downturn of her lips and the wrinkles around her eyes.

* * *

><p>Tom threads his fingers through Eleanor's hair. She's fallen asleep with her head in his lap on the common room couch. He had wanted to wake her up at first, because it had started snowing again and he wanted to go outside. But, given how she'd recently been sleeping, he figured she needed the nap.<p>

He looks down at her and feels a pang of electricity passing through his chest, along with the odd feeling of his stomach falling indefinitely. Looking at her like this only reminded him even more strongly that, no matter how close they got, she would never let down that one barrier that would allow them to be anything more than friends. She had made a point of telling him he'd always be her _best friend_. Never to be anything more. Never to be what he wanted to be. He knew her too well - she would never give him the ability to destroy her by allowing their friendship to become a relationship.

Anyway, he knew well enough now that he wasn't her type. She would never look at him like she looked at all of those strong, tan, smirking, quidditch players. She would never once be attracted to him, because she didn't want someone like him. He was fine as a friend - he just wouldn't do as a boyfriend. He just wouldn't ever be good enough for her to actually _love_. To him, her words when she whispered that she loved him before falling asleep were as hallow as a newly dug grave. It would never be the kind of love he wanted – the kind of consuming, passionate, fierce love he felt. She would only ever feel the kind of passive love that came with friendship. She would only ever love the fact that he was there – there to soften the blows when she lost someone, there to encourage her when she questioned herself, there to protect her from the monsters of her own mind. She would never love _him. _Because he was pale, lanky, rude, awkward, quiet, mean, introverted, cruel, boring, poor...he could think of a thousand other things that would make him unattractive in her eyes.

His fingers slid over her cheek. She was so beautiful. And she would never really be his, not the way he wanted her to be. He had to stop her, at least, from finding another boy she liked as much as she liked Malfoy. For a few months there, it had put their friendship in jeopardy. If he had allowed it to continue, he was sure that she would have ended up abandoning him – and he couldn't allow that. No, he had to keep her close forever. The longer he kept her close, the more likely she was to begin to believe she actually did love him.

* * *

><p>The next day, she was walking the corridors of the castle, taking the long way to the library where Tom was waiting for her. She'd purposely taken extra time to finish her breakfast before taking the longest and slowest path she could remember to the library. It was not really that she didn't want to be around Tom. She was simply tired of all of the books and reading and just wanted a break for once over what was supposed to be a holiday.<p>

As she was focusing on the window at the end of the corridor, she ran into something quite hard which seemed to have suddenly appeared in front of her. She looked up to see the purple robes and long brown beard of her transfiguration teacher.

His pale eyes shone as he looked at her, "Ah, Ms. Jouteur. How are your holidays going?"

She faked a smile as she said, "Wonderful professor. I'm sorry but I must be off to -"

"Meet Mr. Riddle?" He filled in, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

She was taken aback for a second. It was as if he had read her mind. She quickly regained her composure and put back on the fake smile she was so used to using around this particular teacher. She knew that, for some reason intangible to her, Tom hated Dumbledore and would hate her talking to him.

"Yes professor. Now, if you would excuse -"

He cut her off again. She thought it was quite rude. He coughed before saying, "I have noticed that you and Tom spend a peculiar amount of time together."

Peculiar? Had he seriously just used that word? For a second, she wondered what was so _peculiar_ about it. She knew of plenty of people who spent just as much time with their best friend. Instead of showing that she was offended, she said, "Well, you know the circumstances, sir. Now, I really must be -"

"Slughorn told me about an incident between you -"

She was the one to cut him off this time. Due revenge, she thought, though her words were kinder, "No offense, sir, but what happened in potions is really not any of your concern."

"It concerns me greatly, Ms. Jouteur, as it involved Mr. Riddle, who I brought to this school."

"Excuse my language, but Tom had nothing to do with Malfoy being a prick."

"Nothing to do with it? Are you quite certain?"

She looked away from him, convinced he actually had been reading her mind. She couldn't let him learn what had happened. "Yes. Now, I must go."

"You seem to be in quite a hurry."

"I am. Tom is waiting for me," she repeated, trying to look patient.

"Ah, yes, we must not keep Tom Riddle waiting," Dumbledore said with a knowing look as he stepped aside, letting her pass.

* * *

><p>They spent the day idly sitting together, Tom reading as usual as she stared out of the window. It was now after dinner. Eleanor had excused herself to go take another walk outside, so Tom was exiting the Great Hall alone.<p>

Some stupid fourth-year Hufflepuff ran into him, and Tom had to teach him a lesson. He recognized the boy from lessons and remembered how he had leered at Eleanor and knew that, if anyone currently deserved to be punished, it was that stupid boy leading that group of useless Hufflepuffs through the hall. That insolent boy who had dared run into him, Tom Riddle, and, in lieu of apologizing, make a snide remark.

Tom glared at the boy before reaching for his wand. He pulled it, pointing it at the boy, and everything seemed frozen for a second. Utterly lifeless. As if it were all a portrait. Cold fear filled the eyes of all of the Hufflepuff boys, making the air feel as cold as the ground outside.

In a moment of clarity, a soft voice spoke and cracked the ice. Warmth flooded over Tom again as he heard Eleanor calmly say, "Tom."

He turned his upper body to Eleanor, who was standing in the doorway of the Entrance Hall. He still didn't put his wand away. He still didn't lose that gleam in his eyes. She just walked up to him calmly and, after grabbing his hand, stood on her tiptoes so she could whisper to him, "They aren't worth it. Let's just go."

He put his wand back into his robe. After one last glare towards the boys, he walks off with Eleanor. She's right. You never know who's watching in this castle. He wouldn't want to take a chance of ruining his perfect reputation with the teachers.

The boy behind them made one last taunt, "Look at that, the mighty Tom Riddle being lured away by a little pussycat!"

Their laughter was silenced as, with a simple point of her wand and no words at all, Eleanor had them throwing up slugs. She smirked as she looked back at Tom and they carried on down the hallway as if nothing had happened. He certainly was proud of _his_ Eleanor at that moment. She was nearly as powerful as he was.

**If we could learn to like ourselves, even a little, maybe our cruelties and angers might melt away. - John Steinbeck**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I spent a good half-day trying to make Tom's monologue longer but just couldn't do it. On the contrary, I'm worried Eleanor's is too long. But I also think it gives one an insight into why she's in Slytherin, with the whole never love anyone again thing. Also, I felt I had to clarify why a relationship between Eleanor and Tom wouldn't be happening any time soon. Not feeling the best about this chapter, but not feeling too bad either. Had to insert the Malfoy moment because it seemed like a lot of readers liked him and I don't want him to just disappear :)

I'm going to start looking for character pictures and posting them on my profile, so I will tell you guys the status of that next chapter (which will be updated soon because I already wrote seven pages of it and just have to make a few continuity changes). I'm going to aim for the next chapter to be up by September 5th. This is because I am moving to college in like 15 days, and I want to update all my stories at least once more before that. Next chapter will be another break chapter.

Sorry this chapter is so late! Apart from my own life taking up a lot of time, I have also been questioning my storyline. I read a few other Tom Riddle fics and they had me questioning my characterization. One of the biggest things was that I really didn't have Tom showing any blood discrimination yet. I had to think hard about my story and remember that I did plan this out so that essentially there would be one moment where he really just snaps into Lord Voldemort. _Do you think Tom seems in character?_

As always, I will remind everyone to go to my profile (and not just because I updated it with snazzy new previews for all of my stories) and look at the two other stories I'm writing! One is a Tom Riddle/OC story with a very different plot, the other is a Oliver Wood/OC story. Both have been updated with a second chapter now. It would be much appreciated if you would even just glance at them.

_Thank you for reading :) Please review if you have any questions/comments/suggestions/kind words._


	12. Duality

**Life can be found only in the present moment. The past is gone, the future is not yet here, and if we do not go back to ourselves in the present moment, we cannot be in touch with life. - Thich Nhat Hanh**

Eleanor stares at the white snow lining the ground as she walks, carefully leaving as small of a trace as possible. Walks around the grounds were quickly becoming her past-time, the only chance she had to think without being afraid of Tom knowing what she was thinking about. She knew that Tom had been reading up on books about legilimency, but didn't know how far he'd developed a talent for it, and didn't want to risk him knowing her every thought.

An image of Owen Davies appeared in her mind. She'd ran into him on the first day of break, as she was rushing to meet Tom in the library. Even though he was a year above her and they had never spoken before, he had struck up a conversation with her. She hadn't met a friendly face in a while, and was starved for a carefree conversation. They had ended up speaking for half an hour, and she'd had to lie to Tom about where she'd been.

After that, they'd met a few times during that first week of break, and Davies would always be kind enough to speak to her. She had to admit, she'd developed a bit of a crush on him. He was just so nice, and the newness of someone being so kind was an amazing thing.

This morning, she'd run into Davies again. He'd insisted on walking her to the library, and for a second she'd been silly enough to imagine he fancied her too. She hadn't been expecting to see Tom waiting at the entrance to the library – he would usually be reading in the back corner, right by the restricted section. The moment after Davies introduced himself to Tom was the most awkward moment she could imagine.

Tom had promptly taken her hand and pulled her to him, faking a smile, "Why didn't you tell me about you're _friend_ earlier Ella?"

She tried to shrug away from his touch, tried to clarify that she and Tom were not a couple so that Owen wouldn't run off like everyone else did. She fakes a smile back at Tom, but is really watching Owen out of the corner of her eyes for a reaction, "Didn't think it was important. Now, haven't we got a charms essay to write?"

Owen smiles as if nothing is unusual, "Good luck with that Eleanor. See you tomorrow."

She manages to open her mouth and say, "Thanks. Bye Owen."

Tom smirks wickedly at the boy. This stupid boy who's taking all her attention away from him. His charming voice hides his malice as he says, "See you around Davies."

* * *

><p>She purposely takes another path to the library to avoid Owen. She doesn't want him to get hurt because of her, and she knew by the tone of Tom's voice yesterday that, if Tom did see Owen with Eleanor again, there was a pretty high likeliness of that happening.<p>

Eleanor frowns at her horrible luck. As soon as she arrived and took a seat next to Tom, he slung his arm around the back of her chair. She was confused by his behavior, until she looked up and saw Owen sitting a few tables down, his eyes darting away from her as soon as she noticed him.

Tom leaned toward her, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth, and then whispered, "Don't you dare pull away from me today."

She nodded numbly, recognizing this as one of his rules and afraid of what would happen if she did defy him. She took out her book and tried to start answering the questions she had written down for their potions work. Unfortunately, as soon as her ink touched the page, she felt Tom turn in his chair, facing her, his knees grazing her thigh.

"Look at me," he whispered, making sure that his lips grazed her ear.

She made the mistake of complying, turning her head so that she could do so. As soon as her head was facing his, his arm slipped off the top of her chair, snaking down to her waist, pushing against the small of her back, forcing her to lean forward until their lips collided.

She was nearly breathless when he let go. She wanted to pretend that hadn't happened, so she just turned back to her work. She still couldn't ignore the fact that his fingers were slowly pushing their way under her shirt, rubbing the bare skin of her back.

"What are you doing?" she gasped out after finally regaining the courage to talk. There was no way he was going to assault her like this, in public where anyone could see. She had never thought that was within the realm of possibility, and she just wanted to disappear so badly in that moment, to get away from him and his burning hot lips.

"Putting on a show for the Ravenclaw," he answers simply.

"Why?" She can barely control her voice as his fingers move higher, grazing across her lower back.

"Because, he obviously fancies you, and I need to inform him that you are mine."

She scowled, "I do not _belong_ to you Tom."

"I'm not going to argue with you Ella. And I'm not going to allow him to come near you again. Just sending a bit of a signal to deter him from doing so."

She pulls away from him, a frown on her face, "Well, you need to stop. Madame Pince might see us."

"And is that the only reason you want me to stop? Fancy breaking any _rules_ today?"

She pales, "Of course that's the only reason."

He smirks back, "Good. What's his name again?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"You're coming dangerously close to breaking a rule, Ella."

She blushes and looks back down at her book, "Owen Davies."

"Great," he says with a smirk before turning away from her, "Davies! Why don't you come and sit with us?"

She nearly gasps. How dare he! Of course, Owen has to accept. He sits across from her and asks, "What are you working on?"

"Potions questions," she answers, preparing herself for whatever Tom is about to do.

Owen actually smiles, "That's rough. But then again, you two are Slytherins. Slughorn's bound to like you better than he likes me."

"Being a Slytherin has it's perks sometimes," Tom says, feigning kindness. At the same time, he grabs her hand and pulls it up to the table, interlocking their fingers in plain view, "As I'm sure being a Ravenclaw does too."

She tries to tug her hand away from him, but he won't let go. She suddenly comes up with a brilliant way to point out the fact that she's single to Owen. After all, what girl wants their crush thinking they've already got a boyfriend?

"So, Owen, Hogsmeade is coming up right after break ends. Have you got a date yet?"

"No."

"Me neither."

"Oh, you two aren't..."

She actually laughs, "No."

She glances over at Tom and knows that he's fuming at her for ruining his charade. It might be worth it, as long as Owen doesn't continue to think she's actually dating Tom.

* * *

><p>She tries to keep her breathing even, though the fact that she was looking down at the ground, which had to be over 1,000 feet away, certainly would have warranted her hyperventilating. She kept her voice soft in hope of calming him down, "Tom, please let me go."<p>

He smirked as he lifted a few fingers from her right hip. He was holding her out at arms length at the end of the suspension bridge, threatening to push her over and knowing that she was afraid of heights. She knew better then to even think she would have a chance of running away from him without being cursed. His voice was malicious as he said, "Are you sure that's what you want Ella?"

She shook her head as she realized just what a bad idea her words had been. Better for her not to say anything at all.

"Are you going to apologize to me?"

"For what?" As soon as the words exited her mouth, she knew they would provoke him. Why did she have to be so stupid and try to come up with witty retorts at a moment like this?

"You're behavior to me in front of that Ravenclaw."

"He's got a name, you know."

"Oh, really? Would you care to remind me what it is, so that I can punish him too?"

She gulped, "No."

"You have a crush on him."

She tried to keep her face straight, her voice even, as she lied, "No, I don't."

He clicked his tongue in her ear, "Don't think you can get away with lying to me Ella. Try again."

She tries to keep herself from panicking, "I don't have a crush on him."

"Don't you wish that was true," he whispers in her ear, "Feeling bad for what's going to happen to him just because you had the gall to fancy him?"

She screws her eyes shut tight. Tom must be better at legilimency than she had given him credit for. Of course she feels bad that he's going to curse Davies. She's hoping that if she keeps lying, she'll convince him not to do so, "I don't fancy him."

He clicks his tongue again, and she feels his wand against her back, "Don't lie to me Ella."

She knows he wouldn't _actually_ push her off the bridge. Or so she thinks. But, he'll probably do something worse if she steps away from this little charade. She stays completely silent. She knows that the best way for Tom to cool off is if she just gives him time to calm down.

"Did you fancy him?"

She gulps before pushing the word out of her throat, "Yes."

"Would you rather I punish you or him?"

"Me."

He chuckles, "Not very Slytherin of you."

"It isn't his fault."

"_I_ think it is."

Her heart is beating rapidly. She tries to keep her voice strong, "You asked me a question. I answered. My answer isn't going to change."

"I never said I was going to listen to your answer," he says, seeming increasingly bitter.

She turns toward him, placing her hands softly against his chest and allowing him to get a tighter grip on her waist. The embrace feels odd to her, almost foreign, but she ignores the churning in her stomach and tries to calm her shaking. She looks up into his dark eyes, almost pleading, "Tom, just because I do fancy some bloke who I've known for a week and a half, it does not mean that I am going to forget all about you. You need to calm down and realize that, no matter how many probably scummy guys I fancy or date or whatever, you're always going to be my only best friend. You don't need to show anybody that I'm your best friend. I'll gladly say it to them myself. And you don't need to stop people from coming near me. Just tell me you want them gone and they'll be gone. Do you want Davies gone?"

He nods.

She smiles softly, "Then he's gone. I won't speak to him again."

He just pulls her in, her head against his chest, his head resting on hers. They stand like that for a few minutes until he pulls her away a few inches. He leaves one arm around her waist while they walk down to the dungeons together. She thinks he's over the whole thing after thirty minutes of sitting in the common room and reading.

"Come here," he says, his voice soft yet strong all at the same time. She looks up from her position laying on the couch. Curious, she gets up, leaving her book down, and walks in front of him. As soon as she stops moving, he says, "Closer."

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that, considering you're sitting on a bloody armchair?" she asks, looking down at him while raising an eyebrow.

"Like this," he says, with a playful smirk as he guides her forward. She kneels, her legs folded on either side of his, sitting on his legs. He pulls her forward, so that their forehead are touching.

He seems to be analyzing her face for a second before he whispers, "You were wrong earlier."

"What?" she asks, confused.

"When you said I didn't need to show people that we were best friends. Yes, I do."

"Why?" she asks curiously, hoping she'll finally be able to decode his odd behavior as of late.

"Because they'll take you away from me if I give them a chance to."

She understands completely, because they're both orphans and had everything taken away from them but each other. "I won't let them."

He looks away, "Yes, you will. You want other friends. I can tell. I'm not good enough for you anymore."

She giggles softly, "You? Not good enough for me? I think it's the other way around, Tom."

He looks at her, eyes hard, "Please don't joke. I'm serious. I have to keep people away from you."

"No, you don't. It will be fine, I promise. Just give me the chance to prove it – let me actually have a social life. I promise I won't just forget about you."

"I'll think about it."

She nods. Should have expected that. He stares at her for another few seconds, his blank expression slipping away to one she recognizes as worry, "Are you going to leave me?"

"Of course not."

"Never?" She just nods. He's still looks worried as he asks, "You promise?

She swallows hard and looks away. She knows if she makes this promise, he really will never allow her to leave. But what else is she supposed to say? "I promise I'll never leave you."

He smiles. It's one of his rare, real smiles. He doesn't say anything to her, but he does hold her there for a few minutes. Finally, he whispers, "This doesn't mean you can go frolicking about with Davies again."

Even though there's a joking tone to his voice, she knows he's serious.

* * *

><p>She lets him drag her up to his room because she has to admit that today's fight completely tired her out. He kisses her cheek as they're about to fall asleep and says, "Sleep well Ella."<p>

She laughs, "Yeah, just as well as I have been sleeping lately..."

"I learned a spell to keep nightmares away. That was what I was doing in the library yesterday."

She smiles, "You shouldn't have bothered so much. I'm sure they'll just go away on their own. Besides, dreams are meant to tell you things about your inner thoughts and all."

_Which would mean that I think you're bloody frightening and you're going to end up killing me, not that I'd tell you that_...she thought.

"Well, now that you've had the same nightmare over and over again, I really don't think it can offer you many new signs. Can I do the spell?"

She thinks about it for a second, but she feels okay tonight. She doesn't feel afraid to be going to sleep like she usually does. Maybe that means the nightmares are going to stop on their own. So, instead, she smiles up at him and says, "I don't think I need it. I just need you to be here."

"Alright. Goodnight."

She was wrong about the nightmares. They didn't go away, they were just altered a little.

* * *

><p>She imagined herself being dragged down a long hall – a hall she felt was familiar for some reason. There were two burly men on either side of her, wearing odd silver masks with markings she didn't recognize. They had her arms tied, and the man on the right was holding the rope connected to her arms, yanking her along.<p>

She felt immense fear overcome her – and yet, at the same time, she felt calm washing over her. She looked around again, at the men beside her, and noticed that one was showing a mark on his arm. A snake and a skull. Snakes...who did she know that liked snakes? Something in the back of her mind tried to warn her, and yet she was still not prepared as she was dragged up to a set of doors. Seconds later, they were thrown open to reveal the only person she had ever truly feared – or loved.

Tom was sitting on what seemed like a throne at the end of the room. Only he didn't look like the Tom she remembered – he looked older, his features sharper. Yet, that wasn't the greatest difference. There was something that she couldn't put to words that was different about him, something far less obvious than his appearance.

She actually smiled as she saw him. Well, if Tom was here it couldn't be too bad. He'd only accidentally killed her in her last few nightmares...

She was surprised by how roughly she was thrown down onto the floor, right at his feet, looking up at him as if hoping he would untie her and let her go and be that Tom Riddle she had known since they were four years old, not the angry, hard Tom that was emerging with increasing frequency.

She was wrong to hope, for his next action was to walk up to her. He harshly grabbed her chin, and, as she was made to stare up at him, she noticed her own reflection in a mirror on the wall to her right. She had aged too, she realized, probably by at least five years.

"You promised you would never leave me," his cold voice was just as menacing as it always was, "You will be punished for breaking your promise Eleanor."

His lips were consuming hers again, but this time it felt as if he was attempting to swallow her whole. That familiar burning sensation was starting again. Now it was stronger. Fiercer. Engulfing not just her lips, but all of her skin. His hands were roaming over her again, and the scene shifted suddenly. Now they were alone in a foreign bedroom. But his hands were still creating those familiar gashes on her skin. Only now, there was no blood. Just pain. Searing pain. So bad, she was surprised it didn't wake her up.

Suddenly, he tore her clothes away from her, using the same spell he had used the night of the Yule Ball. There were no more kisses. No more touching. Just the sensation that was him pounding into her, taking away her innocence and hope and every happy emotion she had ever felt and leaving only the feeling of being desperate, being trapped, being completely forlorn.

She felt herself being torn apart from the inside, as if someone had taken a machete, made her swallow it, and then spelled it to rip her organs out one by one.

* * *

><p>She didn't gasp as she woke this time. She just silently sobbed. And even though she knew it was all a silly dream, she couldn't get the images out of her mind.<p>

Tom woke beside her. He leaned up, pulling her into his arms, whispering reassuring words in her ear as he rocked her back and forth and kissed her hair.

For a second, she was mortified. She had thought of her best friend _that_ way. She couldn't believe it. She was sure that Tom would laugh at her if he knew. She was just so embarrassed. And then she realized that, though she had such a dream about him, the dream hadn't been good and she hadn't enjoyed it. She hadn't wanted it. Surely that made it okay. Well, not okay. It was not okay to have dreams about your best friend killing you in horrid ways. But, other than that, everything was just fine.

Who was she kidding? She was a mess. She wasn't the person she had wanted to be. Now she was even a mess while sleeping.

Her crying stopped. Her breathing calmed. Upon noticing this, Tom leaned down and asked, "Are you okay Ella?"

"Not yet, but I will be. As long as you're here."

He pulled her closer, "I will always be here."

"Can you...can you please do the spell?" Eleanor asked, knowing she needed to be able to sleep. At least magic could fix one thing in her life.

* * *

><p>"Want a break?" Tom asks, looking over at Eleanor who is glaring at her DADA essay as if she's trying to light it on fire without a spell. In fact, he swears one of the corners of the parchment is actually sizzling.<p>

She looks up at him, thrown partly out of her current thinking pattern, which revolves around the fact that DADA is completely useless and they should just learn how to curse people back instead. She smirks a little as she realizes that even _Tom_ is looking at her like she's insane now, "Sure. Let's get some fresh air. These dungeons are so stuffy."

They walk out to the snow, Eleanor leading as she takes the same path around the grounds she uses on her walks alone. Once again, they don't need words. Each knows exactly how the other is feeling – Eleanor, anxious, tired, restless, and Tom, drained, frustrated, tense. Tom catches Eleanor's eyes darting around the skyline and reaches out to hold her hand, knowing she's bothered by the fact that, even after the nightmares subsided last night, she'd hardly been able to stay asleep for more than a half hour at a time. He knew she felt guilty about waking him so many times too – and unsure about the fact that she had really _needed_ him last night, needed him to sit with her in his arms and kiss her forehead reassuringly and tell her that everything was okay. Neither of them liked needing anyone, so it was hard for them to admit they needed each other. She'd even seemed a bit disturbed by the fact that she needed him so much, though it had calmed him because he had known he needed her for a long time – ever since he'd admitted to himself that he loved her.

She notices that he's looking at her and projects a faint smile. She knows he's worried – much too worried for his own good, because he's swamped with classwork and she knows he would hate it if he slipped from first in their class. She's caught those sideways looks he gives her when he thinks she's reading or sleeping or just staring at the fire. There's something odd about the way he looks at her, but she just puts it down to his worry and tries to keep her spirit up for his sake, even when she's so deprived of sleep she's about to collapse.

There's really no need for speech when you know each other as well as these two do, so the silence is comfortable. They ease into the pattern of silence and soft footsteps. She starts to withdraw into her own mind, but is shocked out of it when she feels Tom's thumb trail over her hand, bringing her back to the present. She looks over at him, knowing he wants to say something.

"If you're tired, we can go back and you can get a few hours of sleep before dinner."

That faint smile is back, "I'm fine."

"Ella, you aren't fine. What's wrong with you lately?"

She hesitates but decides to tell him, "I don't know. I just feel...scared."

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she regrets them. He looks even more worried as he mutters, "Of what?"

She doesn't say anything, not wanting to tell Tom that she's scared of him. Not wanting to know what his reaction to that will be. She just shrugs, "I don't know."

She really doesn't know. Why would she be scared of him? He's like her unofficially adopted older brother. Why in the world would she ever dream of him killing her? He could be scary sometimes, but he had never really hurt her _badly_. He'd bruised her, he'd nearly broken her arm, he'd yelled at her, and he'd made her cry. She could list plenty more offenses - but he'd always been there to help her pick up the pieces and move on afterward. She didn't believe that he would ever even think of killing her. So maybe it wasn't him that she was really afraid of. Even after the nightmares ended last night, thanks to the spell he had cast, she hadn't been able to get rid of the anxiousness and fear. It had to be something else. Which, she guessed, was the reason that she had been so engrossed in her own thoughts lately, She had probably been subconsciously trying to resolve something.

"You have nothing to be scared of while I'm here," Tom says. She looks up at his face, recognizing the sincerity in his eyes, and knows that he's completely right. He would protect her from anything. Even from her own twisted, depressed mind.

A few seconds later, he stops under the old oak tree by the lake. Eleanor is surprised by the interruption in their walk, but she stops right in front of him as he turns to face her. His grip on her hand grows stronger as he says, "I would die for you Ella."

She freezes, holding the breath she had just taken. Death was the one thing Tom hated most. He was never willing to even consider the idea of his dying. It was as if death didn't exist to him. She had never even heard him say the word out loud. Until now. Eleanor tries to compose herself and say it back, but she chokes on her words. He doesn't seem to expect her to say anything, but that only relieves her guilt slightly.

He finally just smiles and says, "Want to go back, or would you prefer to turn into an icicle?"

She laughs, "I would prefer to stay out for a bit longer."

He recognizes the conspiracy in her eyes and raises an eyebrow warily, "What have you got planned?"

"Nothing. Oh, look at the Quidditch pitch, someone just fell off their broom!" Her horrible acting convinces him to turn and look up at the sky above the pitch. She takes the chance to whip out her wand and point it at the snow, quickly casting a snowball that she promptly throws at his chest as he turns. Giggling, she retreats to behind the tree, but Tom follows her, casting a few of his own snowballs for revenge.

Twenty minutes later, she begs for forgiveness as a smirking Tom traps her against the tree, smirking and holding a snowball in his right hand. He drops the snowball and leans closer into her, taking her hands and rubbing them with his. Her fingers were pale and ice cold. He knew he should have told her to wear mittens and a scarf before they went outside.

"You're going to get sick now Ella," he chides.

"No, I am not," she comments, all of her stubbornness showing.

"The lady doth protest too much," he says with a smirk. She sticks out her tongue in response, a childish move, but it makes him start laughing. Which is a real surprise, because Tom rarely ever laughs. And a smile too, once he's stopped laughing. He's in a very good mood today.

He takes off his scarf and wraps it around her, ignoring the fact that it's much too long for her. She looks up at him, pouting, "I'm still cold."

"Then let's go inside."

"I don't want to go inside yet! We spend so much time inside," she complains.

"Fine," he says, his arms wrapping around her and drawing her closer. His head goes to rest in the crook of her neck, and they're back to their familiar position. Something feels _fixed_ between them. He feels like she trusts him again. The thought is backed up by the fact that she doesn't cringe or move away, so he places one lone lingering kiss in the hollow between her neck and collarbone. She tries to ignore the warmth that spreads through her at his touch.

She closes her eyes as her head rests against his shoulder, letting herself relax for a minute. Her lips part with some hesitation as she quietly whispers, "Tom?"

His dark eyes gaze into hers, all consuming, demanding her full attention, "Yes Ella?"

Her voice is soft, and even though there's a degree of uncertainty in her eyes as she gazes back at him, she sounds completely sincere, "You're my hero."

**Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or burn down your house, you can never tell. - John Crawford**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Finally done! I've been editing this all day. I hope you like the last part, as it was a new addition to the chapter. So, this chapter has jealous/possessive Tom and cute/sweet (but in a creepy, kind of off-putting way) Tom. Next chapter will be up by _Sep. 9_. I do spoil you all :)

I didn't get a lot of reviews for the last chapter (and my criteria for a lot is like five, so I'm not really asking for much), which was kind of disappointing. I thought everyone hated the last chapter! :/

Thank you for reading :) Please review if you have any questions/comments/kind words. Requests for what gifts they should give each other would be appreciated.


	13. Magical Moments

**I like villains because there's something so attractive about a committed person - they have a plan, an ideology, no matter how twisted. They're motivated. - Russell Crowe**

Eleanor had been uncertain about how Tom would react to her words, but she could feel him grin into her shoulder. He would never let her see how happy he really was – Tom preferred not to directly state or show his feelings, though he often found that control slipping around her. He held her hand all the way back to the castle before they walked into the Great Hall.

She stared at the decorations hanging from the ceiling and the Christmas tree in the corner, "What's going on?"

"Christmas is in five days," Tom reminded her. Noticing the worry on her face, he asks, "What's wrong?"

"I haven't bought you're presents yet!" she yells out, frowning.

"I already told you I don't want anything Ella," he commented as he lead her toward the Slytherin table. They sat down and he poured them both hot chocolate. Seeing as there were only a few people scattered at the other tables, she rests her head against his shoulder as they sit.

"But I want to get you something," she says, pouting.

"You know I can't get you anything," he says self-consciously.

"I don't care," she tries to reassure him, "I still want to get you something. Do you need anything?"

"No."

"Tom..." she says, as if she's ready to argue with him. A few seconds pass before her eyes begin to glint with an idea, "I guess I'll just surprise you."

* * *

><p>Tom woke up on Christmas morning to find a note by his bedside. Eleanor was gone, which was odd because he was usually the one to wake her up.<p>

_Merry Christmas. I won't be seeing you at breakfast today, but don't panic. I'll see you once you get through all of my surprises – the next note will be waiting for you in the Great Hall._

At this point, he would have much rather heard Eleanor say "Good Morning. Merry Christmas." to him in that throaty whisper she had when she first woke up and rolled over with half-open eyes to stare up at him. He didn't really care about any ruddy surprises or Christmas celebrations. He got dressed with reluctance, in a more foul mood than usual, and trudged down to breakfast.

Sure enough, there was a note in the place next to him where she usually sat.

_Good morning Tom,  
><em>_I know I've greatly disappointed you by skipping out this morning. I apologize for not waking you, but that would have ruined the surprise. I've got something special planned for today - 12 gifts await you, each with a clue to the next. And don't try to skip out of this and go looking for me, because you'll only be able to find me by following all the clues. Good luck.  
><em>_Love, Eleanor_

Attached to the note was a green piece of paper. He wanted to ignore it so he could just go back to the common room and read until she was bored of this latest silliness, but his curiosity overpowered his laziness, so he unfolded the paper.

_Next, you will find a set of tools of a different kind, used to create symbols and rhymes, in a spot you frequent where you will find many of their kind._

Tools that created symbols. Symbols like in Ruins. Like letters. Letters made up books, and books were in the library. He finished eating his breakfast before walking up to the fourth floor. There was a present wrapped in silver paper floating in the air a bit to the left of the door to the library. He snatched it out of the air to see another note on top, which he quickly tucked into his pocket before opening the gift. It was a set of new quills with a few rolls of parchment, probably enough to get him through the school year. Though he would still much prefer to go into the library and test out his new tools, he decided that he better continue the hunt. So, he unrolled the next clue...

_Nearly ditched me to go read, didn't you? Well, once you find the next clue, you'll have something new to occupy you're time. Venture further north, to see all that awaits you._

Books always occupied his time, so that must be the next gift. North...so probably a tower. Which tower did you see things from? The Astronomy Tower. He walked up the staircases, getting more and more impatient as he waited for them to change. He held his breath as he waited for the last staircase to move over, only letting it out once he saw another wrapped box set on the railing of the Astronomy Tower. He unwrapped this one more quickly, once again tucking the note away in his pocket. A new set of the The Secret Book of Spells, along with a few other books, including A History of Hogwarts. He tore the note back out of his pocket, reading through it quickly.

_The next present will also occupy you're time, though this may be a little more violent. Go back to a familiar place, somewhere you've already been once today._

He knew Eleanor would never have risked getting caught putting another present in a place he had already found one, so he decided the only other place she could have known he'd been in today was the Common Room. At least this would give him a chance to put all of this away before continuing the hunt. Within ten minutes, he had nearly ran down to the common room. He found another present sitting in the armchair he usually occupied when they were inside reading. Before opening it, he put the clue on top down on to the table. This time it was a Wizarding Chess set. He'd only played a few times before, but he supposed it was a good enough hobby. He grabbed the next clue.

_Now, a way to use those quills. The next clue will be easy to find for you._

Cryptic. He couldn't think of anywhere that the clue hinted at, and for a moment was so overcome with frustration that he nearly gave up. Instead, he sighed and walked up to his dorm to put the presents he had already found away. He was shocked to see that there was another wrapped box, smaller this time, sitting on his bed. Of course the only location he hadn't been able to figure out had been the simplest one. He set everything down on his desk before walking over to open the new present. It was a small black leather bound journal, his initials carved in gold on the right corner. His fingers ran over it before he finally set it down and reached for the next clue.

_A present to help you keep time, hidden at the base of the timekeeper itself._

Itself. Not a person. Keeping time. Had to be a clock. The clock tower. Tom was calmer as he walked this time, knowing that more people would be out in the hallways since an hour had already passed. On the ground floor of the clock tower, he found another wrapped present – a silver watch with a black dial, as he had suspected. He put it on before snatching the next clue from the remains of the wrapping paper.

_The next gift may not be magic, but it can transfigure your appearance. _

Tom sighed. He was getting a bit tired of this hunt. The act was sweet, but he just wanted to see Eleanor. Why did she have to put so many obstacles in his way? When he finally reached the Transfiguration corridor and found a box covered in green wrapping and silver bows, he snatched it out of the air, impatiently tearing at the paper as soon as he stuffed the note in his pocket. Three new sets of school robes sat in the box, and for a moment he wondered how she had managed to get his measurements. It seemed an odd thought that she cared about him enough to plan all of this – and moreover to listen in at Madam Malkin's for his measurements. For a moment, he thought he didn't deserve such kindness from her. Even though he tried to block them out, the memories of how he had hurt her so many times, in some many different ways, came flooding in. He tried to get rid of them – Malfoy wouldn't be a problem now, and she was happy with Tom, and there was no reason he would have to hurt her again. Tom turned his attention back to the crumpled note.

_An exotic material among exotic specimens. A piece of fabric made from a living thing, hidden among living things._

Tom carried the box with the robes in his hands while he walked toward the greenhouses, knowing that was his best bet for finding the next gift. She had said there were 12 – that meant he still had five more clues until he found her. Indeed, there was a box floating in front of the door to the Herbology classes. He was even more rushed as he tore it open, hastily stuffing the dragon hide gloves inside the box into his pocket before reading the next clue.

_Near the north pole, you'll need something to keep you warm._

North pole? What the hell could that mean? Pole...a pole was tall, a tower was tall. The North Tower? He ran, this time hardly caring about the people staring at him as he passed. He'd been on the hunt for nearly two hours. His legs were tired, and he wanted to find Eleanor before lunch. He had to go up the staircase of the North Tower, finally spotting the gift floating just within reach halfway up.

He tore it open as quickly as he could, but had to pause to admire the scarf inside. It looked hand-knitted, and he wondered whether Eleanor had really done it herself or if she had just used magic or if she'd even just bought it somewhere. He liked to believe she had learned to knit just so that she could make it for him, and the occasional dropped stitch or row slightly out of place supported this. The scarf was made of an iridescent silver yarn, with black and green strands sown in two vertical lines in the middle. Though it was certainly messier than the store-bought version, he smiled as he lopped the scarf around his neck. She had made him something. With her own hands and hours of work. She had learned to knit just so she could make him this.

He swore he would kiss her as soon as he found her, even if she would probably pull away from him within seconds. His left hand continued to toy with the yarn of the scarf as he pulled open the note.

_Sugar, honey, butterscotch...you'll find you're next clue where you can find all these things._

Tom was sure he looked like even more of a loony, running through the castle with a smile on his face, scraps of green and silver paper clinging to him. This did not stop him from reaching the kitchens in under five minutes. The house elves all looked at him like he was insane as soon as he entered. He skidded to a stop before saying, "I'm...there's supposed to be something for me here."

One of the elves stepped forward, "Puffy, give him that box the girl told us to take care of."

Tom stood impatiently as one of the elves walked around the room. It felt like minutes before the box had been found and was in his hands. He stepped out before grabbing the note attached to the top of the present. He read and walked at the same time, going back to the Slytherin common room to once again put away his latest things.

_At the entrance, something that opens to reveal a long-held memory._

Tom stuffed the note in his pocket after resolving that the next location was the Entrance Hall. He rushed up to his room, ready to put away all the robes and the latest present. Just as he was about to leave, it occurred to him that he hadn't even opened the last gift yet. He had to push away his impatience and force himself to return. He ripped away paper impatiently, until he saw that it was an assortment of candy and chocolate from Honeydukes. He smirked. She would probably end up eating most of this.

This time, he walked to the Entrance Hall, still toying with the scarf around his neck. The second to last clue was waiting for him, floating in the middle of the hall right in front of the staircase. He noticed several other students try to touch the present, but they moved their hands away as if they had been shocked. He smirked at the incredulous looks from the students milling about when he snatched the box out of the air. He opened it before he read the clue this time. His brow furrowed at the music box inside. Normally, she would know not to get him such a non-practical gift. Curiously, he opened it – immediately recognizing the song that played as the lyrics to an old lullaby she would hum to him whenever he was too anxious to fall asleep. He smiled and closed his eyes for a minute, letting memories of their childhood flood back, before he realized he was in the middle of the Entrance Hall, and people were staring. Tom finally pulled the clue out of his pocket, eager to finish the hunt.

_In a room full of portraits of the famous, a set of visuals of a less well-known kind._

He immediately bolted towards the Great Hall, going into the antechamber without even looking around to see how many professors were there watching him run about like a madman. He found the gift floating in the middle of the small room and snatched it, ripping it open before even looking for a clue. He paused as soon as he saw the gift inside: a photo album. He opened it to see it was filled with pictures of them – moving pictures she had been taking as a new hobby of hers, which he had usually brushed off. He smiled now as he looked down at them. This time, the note fell out of the album.

_I'm sure you're gifts will leave others green with envy. The last surprise awaits you in a den of silver._

Green and silver. The common room again? He gripped the album tightly as he calmly walked back to the common room. As soon as he stepped inside, he was perplexed. There was nothing there but a note hanging in the air right in front of him.

_Go and put you're gifts away._

He figured it was best to follow instructions, though he had no clue how he would find her without the next clue. For a moment, he suspected she would be in his room, but he was disappointed as soon as the door opened. He unceremoniously dumped the presents onto his bed before stomping down to the common room, in a foul mood once again. Where the hell was Eleanor?

His question was answered as soon as he turned the corner from the boys staircase. There she was, lounging on the couch in front of the fireplace like usual, as if she hadn't just sent him running around the castle for more than two hours.

"Merry Christmas," she said with a smirk.

He raised an eyebrow, "You're my last present?"

"You get whatever you want from me until midnight. Which is why you should have found me earlier. I got quite bored."

He smirked as he approached her, "Have you been following me this whole time?"

She smiled, "Not exactly. I bribed some first years to look out for you at each place, and then waited in the library so that I could place the next clue as soon as you found one. Though your running did make it considerably harder to get away without you seeing me."

He chuckled, "And your hiding from me made my running necessary."

She suddenly sat up and asked, "Did you like your presents?"

He leaned in closer to her, trapping her against the couch with an arm near both of her sides. His heart beat faster as he realized that his face was only inches from hers, and he was still wearing the scarf she had given him. The corner of his lips twitched while he tried to restrain a grin, "I liked the last one best."

Her smirk reappeared, and he could have sworn she blushed. She looked down before he could verify this, her fingers going to the scarf around his neck and laying it flat, "Do you like it?"

"Of course I do," he responded, his lips meeting her forehead briefly.

"I was afraid I was horrible at knitting," she answered quietly.

A smile tugged at the corner of his lips again, "I didn't even know you could."

"I learned this summer. It take me nearly two months to finish this scarf," Eleanor admitted.

He let his smile out, "You shouldn't have bothered just for me."

She returned his smile, finally looking up at him again, "I don't have anyone else to bother for. As long as you like it, it was well worth the time."

"I love it," he answered sincerely, unable to keep his eyes from focusing on her lips.

"Good," she said resolutely. He tried to lean in to kiss her, but she suddenly pulled away, "Let's go then."

"What?" Tom asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"It's still only 10! I have to eat breakfast," Eleanor explained.

That worried look was back on his face, "When did you wake up?"

She shrugged, "Around 7."

"And you haven't eaten for 3 hours?" he inquired.

"Never found time," she said, avoiding eye contact.

He looked at her disapprovingly, "You could have fainted."

"But look, I'm fine," she pointed out, trying for a reassuring smile and failing.

"Come on," his worry was justified as soon as she stood up. She wavered on the spot, swaying a bit as the blood rushed through her body and she felt dizzy for a second. He reached out automatically, his arms wrapping around her and puling her to his chest to support her.

She let out a raggedy breath as she stopped swaying, looking up at him and muttering, "Don't you dare say anything. I am _fine_."

"Ella, you can't trick me," without another word, Tom lifted her up, his arms swopping under her knees and back as he carried her toward the Great Hall.

"Tom, people are staring," she pointed out as they trudged through the Entrance Hall, her eyes darting between the crowd of Ravenclaws and the group of Hufflepuffs that were raising their eyebrows at them.

"Ella, you're going to pass out if you don't eat soon. I don't _care_ if people are staring," he said. He only set her down once they had reached the Slytherin table. He was the one to pull a plate towards him and start pilling it with french toast after pouring her a cup of Earl Grey tea with two sugar cubes.

Her head lay against his shoulder, watching him curiously, "How is it that you know _exactly_ what I eat for breakfast?"

"I've had breakfast with you for over 10 years," he says calmly.

"But still, I have no clue what you want for breakfast. Let alone how you take your tea."

"Coffee, not tea. And black."

She nods, "I'll try to remember that."

* * *

><p>Eleanor sighed as they sat in the common room. It was already after lunch and, except for the brief break to eat, Tom had been reading all this time. She looks over at him and comments, "I let you basically have me as a slave for twelve hours and all you do is make me sit here watching you read?"<p>

He smirked, "Are you asking me to exploit this opportunity?"

"You could at least act like a regular bloke for once!" she said, a joking tone still in her voice, "Go out and play quidditch or run around in the dirt or chase girls or something. Anything fun."

Tom set his book down on the table, focusing his dark eyes entirely on hers. There was something about them that made her shiver – something serious, yet mischievous at the same time. His voice sounded rougher than usual as he said, "Fine, I'll act like a regular bloke. And any regular bloke would very much like to take advantage of you right now, so..."

He stood up, and it seemed like within seconds he was leaning over her. She froze in the couch, only her eyes managing to move as they scanned the room, her lips parting to let out a thankful breath once she verified that there were no onlookers. How odd would people think they were then?

She expected him to bridge the gap he had left between them, but instead he sat down on the opposite end of the couch. She turned back to the book she was holding, something about goblin history, but before she could even finish a page, he pulled her toward him. She found herself laying on top of him, her legs between his, her head on his chest. He groaned as she accidentally placed an arm against his chest in an attempt to pick herself up. A second later, he snatched the book out of her hands and threw it down on the floor.

"Want me to be a regular bloke?" he teased, his breath against her neck as she finally managed to pull her upper body up by using her elbows on the seat as leverage. Tom caught her eye and a chill ran through her. She wanted to say no, but she knew she had already given him permission to do literally _anything_ that day. And besides, she didn't want him to laugh at her for being scared.

He didn't really give her the chance to object, somehow managing to push her under him and press his lips against her necks, leaving fresh marks for Davies to look at. Tom had noticed the Ravenclaw glancing at her across the hall. Thankfully, she had kept her promise not to speak to Davies – that still didn't stop Tom's watchfulness.

"If I was a _regular_ bloke, any guesses on what I would do with you at my mercy for the next few hours?" he mumbled.

"Some," she whispered.

"Aren't you going to tell me to stop?"

"Then I would be taking your gift away."

He smirks, "So, I get to do absolutely _anything_ I want?"

She swallows before answering, "Yes."

He presses his lips against hers immediately, channeling everything he's been holding back for the last few days. He regrets the fact that his hands are occupied making sure he doesn't crush her, so he rolls over to his side and keeps her pulled close even when he senses some reluctance. Tom's left hand wanders down to her waist, enjoying the dips of her well-defined shape. He smiles into the kiss when she reaches up and runs a few fingers through his hair.

His lips separate from hers for only a second before he whispers, "I love you. I love that scarf you made me. And the pictures. And everything else."

She laughs, a happy laugh that resounds around the room, before responding, "I love you too Tom. You're my best friend."

And there were those words again. _Best Friend_. It was like saying, I love you, but I won't ever be in love with you. I love you – like an old friend, like a big brother, like someone I will never be attracted to. But Tom stuck around anyway, because this was all he was ever going to get. She wasn't going to commit to him. To a relationship. Especially with someone like him – someone who had crazy mood swings and was protective and wanted nothing more than to spend an entire day with her just reading. Someone so awfully boring who was always in a foul mood and who didn't know how to have fun.

He tried to brush past it, tried to pretend that was what he meant too, tried to pretend he was only kissing her to prove a point. Since last year, he had become infamous for being a womanizer because of his good looks and the number of girls who had crushes on him, despite the fact that the only girl he had ever kissed besides Eleanor was Lucretia, and that had been only as vindication. They could overlook the kissing – or at least the feelings behind it – they could pretend this was just casual and physical and he could pretend it wasn't hurting his heart more and more every second to feel her lips moving against his but lacking that utter passion and need that drove him.

He could pretend – yes, that would work. He wouldn't tell her he loved her again. He would only get the same reaction. He would pretend they were only friends. He would pretend he didn't feel or want anything more. He would pretend the kissing and hand holding and arm around her waist was all just casual. That nothing he did had meaning. That he only wanted to protect her from those boys. That he wasn't jealous out of his mind whenever she even looked at someone else.

Tom didn't want to feel that pang of rejection again – to realize that she wouldn't fall for him. So, he would just pretend. They would be friends, like they always were. But, for today, he had free license to do whatever he wanted, and he would use it. Today would be the last day that he would admit, even to himself, that he loved Eleanor Jouteur. Today would be the last day of his trying to charm her and being nice and sweet even when he knew he should be mad or being angry when he knew he shouldn't care if she fancied some stupid boy. Today would be the last day he would be able to touch his lips to her skin, so he kissed her more fervently, wanting so badly for her to say something that would change his mind.

But why would she? To her, being attracted to Tom Riddle was as odd of an idea as being attracted to a sibling.

* * *

><p>"I just want one thing for Christmas. <em>One<em> little request really," she begs as they sit in the common room around midnight.

"And, judging by the amount of desperation I'm sensing, this thing will not be little or a real request," he drawls, setting his Charms essay down so he can look at her, "What do you want? Or rather, what are you going to force me to concede to?"

She smiles slyly, "Well, I was just thinking that it may be a good idea for me to branch out a little. Everyone knows you and everyone knows you're brilliant, but nobody knows who I am except for, 'that girl who's always with Tom Riddle'. And I would very much like to be known without having to be put in context with you."

He shrugs, "Avery, Carrow, and Dolohov know you."

"As you're friend," she interjects, "You know, at some point, I'm going to need to be able to have my own life. Please let me have a little bit of a social life. I want to go out and be _normal_ – go to parties and quidditch games and _talk_ to people. Would that really be so bad?"

He looks reluctant as he says, "Do I really have a choice?"

She smiles slyly, "Only if you don't want to make me deliriously happy."

Tom concedes, thinking this phase of hers will pass once she realizes being normal isn't so fun either, "I'll grudgingly allow you to have a bit of fun, as long as you still spend time with me."

She jumped up, hugging him tightly before placing a kiss on his cheek, "I really didn't think it would be that easy."

**A phrase began to beat in my ears with a sort of heady excitement: 'There are only the pursued, the pursuing, the busy, and the tired.' - F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **OMG, I finally learned how to do single line breaks! I am such a failure. By the way, I stayed up until 4 AM just to finish this! It's a few hours late, but considering I started writing it today, I think that's still pretty good. More sweet Tom, and I've finally advanced the plot. Did you like the Christmas surprise Eleanor planned?

I will be gone next week with very limited internet connection. Will be checking email, but no updates. Next chapter will be feature a small time jump. I've written a bit of it. Conservatively, I'm going to say it will be up around **September 24**.

Since I had so many good reviews last chapter, I feel I need to show how thankful I am.

**Review responses**:

_DarkLordFollower: _Thank you! I have a thing for possessive guys too, which is why I have a weakness for Tom and didn't want to immediately cast him as evil. I will work on detail, because in general as a writer I lean more toward dialogue. Any suggestions on where exactly in this chapter I needed more detail?

_Rue Dawn: _I was surprised you didn't review right away, but thank you for being so loyal – you were one of the first reviewers to really drive me to keep the story going. I had a feeling you would love this chapter, since you've been rooting for Eleanor/Tom all along. I feel really bad because this story is definitely going to have an unhappy ending, so I'm thinking of making at least a one shot branching off from the story with a happy ending. I love that line too, but you can see the inherent irony.

_Happy Feet: _Thank you! I've read a ton of stories with good writing but lack of plot, so this gets rid of some of my worries. I worked really hard to think up all the twists and turns and fit them into the ending I already wrote.

_Antigona:_ The story is only going to go up to a point before Tom tries to kill Harry, right after his return from Albania in search of the diadem. There could be a possible sequel dealing with the second wizarding war, depending on how popular this story is and how much time it takes me to finish.

_Foryourentertainment6: _Thank you! I was worried the last chapter had too much text and too little dialogue.

_Anonymous: _"He's so sweet..." exactly what I think, before my sister reminds me that he threatened to push her off a bridge earlier in the chapter. It's those minor details that get you.

_DamonSalvatorelover: _On an off note, I also love Damon! She still has a few years before she figures it out. I mean, in my head, she already knows but is in denial because that's her best friend and it's hard to accept such a change in the relationship. Plus, she's kind of oblivious to feelings in general. Let's just say there's a reason she's in Slytherin.

_Wizziewoo123: _I love jealous Tom too! He will be prominent in the next chapter, so at least you have something to look forward to.

**Thank you for reading :) Please review if you have any questions/comments/kind words. If you can, please tell me whether the chapters are too long or just right. And no excuses, because you can submit anonymous reviews!**


	14. Pre:eternity

**The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you will see. - Churchill**

It had been a few weeks since break had ended and, judging from the amount of time Eleanor spent away from Tom, she had found plenty of new friends since then. He could barely get a second alone with her without someone interrupting them – it seemed as soon as she had been allowed to step out of her shell, she had transformed into a social butterfly.

Tom and Eleanor were having breakfast. Meals were practically the only time they had talked since the holidays ended, what with her running around with various other students. They sat next to each other during classes of course, but between lessons and all of Eleanor's "friends" clamoring to catch up with her, there wasn't really time for Tom to get a word in. While Tom was gulping down his coffee, Eleanor picked at a piece of french toast.

"So, do you want to go?" Eleanor suddenly asked.

"What?" said Tom, looking up in surprise. She had been sullenly staring at her plate all morning.

"To that thing I told you about a few days ago, during the eclipse," she says casually.

He frowns down at his empty cup, "I didn't know I was invited."

"Well of course you're invited. I wouldn't very well go to something and not invite my best friend."

"Sure, I guess I'll go."

"You guess? You don't seem very excited Tom."

"Should I be Ella?"

"Well, it's a chance to make some new friends and..."

"New friends? You mean those annoying bookworm Ravenclaw boys who suck up to you because they think you're pretty? No thanks," he sneers.

Eleanor grabs her book-bag and stands up, "Well, at least _I_ talk to other people."

* * *

><p>Tom had, a bit grudgingly, allowed Eleanor to drag him through the secret passages to the Astronomy Tower the next Friday night, even though he thought the whole idea of having a party there was ridiculous. He had stayed for the whole thing and managed to be somewhat tolerable to everyone that spoke with him. Most of the time, he had just politely stood by Eleanor while she talked to people he didn't know.<p>

About an hour after the actual eclipse, everyone started to trickle out. Eleanor was one of the last ones left; she had been talking to a 5th year Slytherin who had brought some firewhiskey.

"Eleanor, let's go," Tom ordered, grabbing her arm.

"I'm not tired yet," she said, without even looking over at him.

"You know you can't afford to get into trouble..." Tom begins, trying to pull her along.

The boy looks over at him and smirks, "It's fine. I'll take her down to the common room. I promise she won't get into any trouble."

Tom glares at the boy before leaving.

* * *

><p>They sit in silence at breakfast again. Tom finally asks, "What happened with that boy you were with last night?"<p>

Eleanor responds tersely, "He has a name you know. Evan Rosier."

"And what happened with Rosier?"

"Nothing for you to worry about Tom," she answers, her tone condescending.

"Which never actually means nothing," he retorts wryly.

"He walked me to the common room."

"I don't understand why you wanted to stay to talk to him. Seems like a git."

"Well once you left I wasn't exactly able to walk by myself. Had a bit too much firewhiskey."

Tom shakes his head, "You really should be more careful..."

"Look, here I am, safe and sound! Obviously there's nothing to worry about," Eleanor finishes off her tea, "I've got to go."

"Where are you going? It's Saturday. We don't have any classes today."

"I know that Tom. I'm going to go watch Slytherin quidditch practice."

"Why?"

"Evan's on the team. He invited me."

* * *

><p>She had been seeing "that blasted git", as Tom called Evan, for a few weeks now. They weren't officially dating, but Tom had heard rumors about them holding hands and kissing and Eleanor had been suspiciously absent on Friday nights and Saturdays.<p>

"What's going on between you and that blasted git?" Tom finally asked upfront one Friday night at dinner. She'd been making excuses about why she had to leave in a few minutes, but he'd seen her looking at Rosier.

"Do you mean Evan again?"

"Yes."

"We're friends."

"Eleanor, tell me the truth."

"I guess we have a little thing. I mean, we've gone on a few dates, but its nothing serious right now."

"How did this start?"

"He kissed me that night that we watched the eclipse and then he wanted to see me again, so..." she trails off to take a sip of her pumpkin juice.

"Do you even like him? Because I really doubt it from the way you're speaking."

"Of course I do. He's tall, handsome, strong, and smart. What's there not to like?"

Tom shrugs, "Maybe it's the fact that you get bored of everybody in about two seconds."

"It's hard to get bored of Evan. He's exciting; he never seems to run out of ideas."

"A quidditch player with a brain? It's a miracle."

"Don't be mean Tom. And, may I note, he's the captain," she says, smirking at him before she walks away. Of course. Of course she likes another muscular and athletic boy Tom would never be able to compete with, what with his lanky figure and lack of ability at sports. And of course she thinks she can go and run off doing whatever she wants even though they were in the middle of a conversation.

* * *

><p>She appears at breakfast the next morning looking tired. Tom is already there, calmly eating his food, when she stumbles over to the table. She holds her head in her hands, looking down at the table. Tom rolls his eyes, grabs her plate, and serves her her usual breakfast.<p>

"Thank you," she mumbles as he places the food in front of her.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I've got a terrible headache."

"Well it's probably because you had too much firewhiskey again last night."

She shakes her head, "We didn't drink."

"Then what's wrong with you?"

"I told you, my head hurts. It feels like someone is trying to pound a nail into my skull. I only stayed up until 11 last night talking with Evan and then I had to go to bed because my head hurt so badly. But it hasn't gone away."

"Eat. Maybe that will help."

She finally took the first bite of the food he had put in front of her. After they'd both cleared their plates (Tom had insisted she eat everything he had put on her plate), she asked, "So Tom, what are you doing today?"

"Going to the library, as usual."

"Great, I'll tag along for a bit."

"Don't you have to go watch that blasted git practice?"

"They moved that back an hour today, so I've got some time. Want to come? I asked Evan last night and he said he wouldn't mind."

"Why would I want to watch you fawn over some boy?"

"Tom, don't be rude."

"Fine," he says, careful not to agree to actually go interact with the blasted git.

Eleanor had managed to drag Tom along with her in the end, but only because he'd kept her in the library for an extra hour, thereby cutting into half her time with Evan. She hadn't been mad at him because he'd managed to give her a shoulder massage which had made her headache disappear. While she was staring avidly at Evan for the whole hour, Tom was secretly watching her out of the corner of his eyes.

After practice, she waited outside of the pitch for Evan to change. He walked up to her smirking. As soon as he was close enough, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her forward, kissing her. Tom stood by awkwardly, his face contorting with disgust.

When he pulled away, he was grinning as he said, "I see you're feeling better darling."

Eleanor smirks, "Yes. Let's go exploring! There's a book in the restricted section..."

Evan laughs and looks over at Tom, "Isn't she silly? You are so very silly darling. You ought to be more practical."

"Practicality is for those without an imagination, and they will sooner die from boredom than I will from my silliness."

Eleanor's statement made Evan smile once again and put an arm around her waist, drawing her closer. The site sickened Tom. The site of that git holding his Eleanor, calling her darling. Hoping to draw her away, Tom said, "El;a, we have a mountain of transfiguration work due on Monday."

Evan turned to Eleanor and said, "Ella? Why didn't you ever tell me you had a nickname darling?"

She scrunched up her nose, "I don't like it. It makes me sound like a child."

"Too bad Ella. I quite like the sound of it. Ella, Ella, Ella," Evan chimed before kissing her cheek.

"Stop it Evan. You're acting like my boyfriend," Eleanor looked up, smiling at Tom, "and I think it's making Tom a bit queasy."

"Well Ella, I did tell you I wanted to be your boyfriend. Maybe if I act like I am it'll convince you to say yes," Evan turns to Tom again, "She is so very stubborn, isn't she?"

Tom just nodded. When he thought that Evan had looked away again, Tom rolled his eyes. Eleanor caught him, smirking as she made eye contact and raised an eyebrow.

She said, "You know, Tom's right, we do have a lot of work. I'll see you after dinner, okay?"

"Of course. If you need help, you know where to find me. I'll meet you for breakfast tomorrow morning so we can walk to Hogsmeade together."

She nodded and kissed him on the cheek once before walking away. Tom rolled his eyes once again.

* * *

><p>Evan had arrived at breakfast before Eleanor the next morning. Of course Tom was that unlucky. He shouldn't have even come to breakfast at all; it wasn't like he had any reason to get up early or go to Hogsmeade. Evan sat across the table from Tom. They ate quietly for a few minutes before Evan put down his fork and coughed loudly. Tom looked up at the bizarre noise. Once he looked up, he was doomed.<p>

"Do you have a problem with me?" asked Evan.

"I barely know you," Tom snipped.

"Well do you have a problem with me dating Eleanor?" Evan pushed.

"Why would I care?"

"Maybe because you have a crush on her that's so obvious you may as well be sending out howlers about it," he retorted with a true Slytherin smirk.

"I think being in love with her may just be making you a little delusional."

Evan smiled, "Nice to know you don't have a problem with Eleanor and I dating. Now I can finally convince her to be my girlfriend. I really think that was the only thing holding her back from saying yes."

Tom cursed him in his head. That git had tricked him into acting like he didn't care if Eleanor dated him, because that git probably knew that Tom would never, ever tell Eleanor she could date him. What could he do now? Go tell Eleanor that he really did mind? Tom knew that would only confirm Evan's teasing.

* * *

><p>There was a quidditch game the next week, Hufflepuff v. Slytherin. It was the perfect way for Tom to show Evan that he wasn't just going to stand by and let his Eleanor get distracted by some stupid boy who was much too dangerous.<p>

Tom and Eleanor were sitting together in the Slytherin stands. Halfway through the game, Tom uses a wandless spell to control one of the bludgers, changing its direction. When the bludger hits Evan, he swings off his broom, winded. One hand grips the handle precariously. Within seconds, Evan is hurtling through the open air. Everyone is gasping. Eleanor had stood and was clasping her hands tightly in front of her mouth, nervously watching Evan. Tom resisted chuckling to avoid giving himself away, instead settling for a small smirk.

As Evan is halfway to the ground, Dumbledore casts an incantation to slow his fall. Tom is mildly disappointed, but the satisfying crunch of Evan's body hitting the ground resounding through the stadium cheers him up.

Evan was in the Hospital Wing for two days. Eleanor went to visit him whenever she had time. The morning he was released, Evan walked up to the Slytherin table and took a seat right next to her as he started piling breakfast food on his plate, the usual confident smirk on his face. He was completely unfazed by the accident – his pretty little face bore not even one scar. Eleanor seemed more interested in Evan than ever before, practically falling all over him right there at the table. Tom hadn't expected this.

Eleanor finally stopped fawning over Evan and his stories long enough to excuse herself. She smiled over at Tom for a second, promising him that she would talk to him in class, before rushing over to library to finish some essay for History of Magic.

Awkward silence washed over their zone of the table as Tom and Evan both glared at each other. Evan broke the staring contest only to look around and make sure no one else was in hearing range. He hisses, "I know I can't prove anything, but I suspect you had something to do with my little accident."

Tom smirks, "How could that possibly be? It isn't like _I_ hit that bludger towards you."

Evan's glare turns to ice, "I was watching that bludger and there's no way my own beater aimed that thing at me."

"And what do you think I did exactly? Fly up and hit it towards you?" Tom retorts smartly.

"Some spell -" Evan starts.

Tom cuts him off, tone authoritative, "Don't you think Eleanor would have heard me if I had cast a spell during the quidditch game? Sounds like you're trying to blame the weaknesses of your team on me. Now, it wouldn't sound too good to Eleanor if I told her that was what you were doing, would it?"

Evan was probably trying to kill Tom with his eyes, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were still five years old. I assumed you could handle things without running to Eleanor. So, you're going to tell on me if I say anything about the fact that you quite blatantly hate me? Go ahead, let's see which one of us Eleanor picks."

Tom is so overcome by the urge to laugh that he barely manages to swallow the pumpkin juice he's drinking. As soon as his airways are clear, his barking laugh comes out, sharp and condescending. He actually smiles at Evan as he asks, "You think she's going to pick _you_? How long has she known you, two months?"

A pained look appears on Evan's face as he tries to defend himself, "I'm her boyfriend. You're only her friend."

"Her best friend. Since we were four years old. You better watch it. I say one word to her and you're gone."

"And then I tell her that you have a crush on her, and neither of us will end up on very good terms with her, will we?" Evan retorted, smirk in tact once again.

Was this stupid boy threatening Tom? Really? Obviously Evan had no clue what he was getting himself into.

* * *

><p>Tom didn't tell Eleanor, mainly because he knew that the threat of Evan telling her was a serious one. He had other ways to end the relationship before Eleanor became serious about this boy.<p>

Tom made sure to point out every time Evan was talking to another girl, fueling Eleanor's jealousy. He made sure to always ask Eleanor about something or another relating to class whenever Evan was around, so that she would have to focus on Tom instead. He pointed out even the slightest flaws that Evan made, whether it was canceling a date for quidditch practice or forgetting to do an assignment. In sum, Tom was unrelentingly advocated for their break up.

It worked for a while, and Eleanor now had obvious doubts about the relationship, but Tom knew that wasn't enough. He had to prove to her that Evan really was all the things he said he was – violent, uncontrolled, untrustworthy.

Tom took the easiest action first. Eleanor realized that people didn't like Tom, and she usually just accepted this even among her friends. But what was unacceptable to her was anyone saying anything about Tom – as soon as someone complained that he was bad for her, or just plain mean, or accused him of doing something, Eleanor would argue with them. Eleanor and Tom had practically grown up together; if someone didn't understand him, they clearly didn't understand her.

It was through this train of logic that Tom ended up spending a Thursday night in the owlery, holding one of Eleanor's old potions essays in his left hand and a quill in the other.

_Evan,_

_You know what's funny about a broom? It's not human, and it can't be your girlfriend. So stop spending all your time on quidditch practice and start spending some time with real people._

_Love, your actual girlfriend._

Tom smirked. This was definitely Eleanor's sarcasm at work. He walked over to her owl. It obediently descended onto the ledge in front of him, used to its surrogate owner from years of being fed by him. Eleanor wasn't exactly good at taking care of other living things. Tom attached the note to the owl's leg, watching as it flew off toward the quidditch pitch where Evan was holding practice. Eleanor had stomped up to Tom earlier that night, all moody about how Evan had canceled plans with her for practice. Tom had been waiting to capitalize on a moment like this. He walked back down to the common room and calmly stretched out on one of the empty sofas in the corner, his potions book in his hands.

The quidditch oafs were back faster then he expected, all flooding the common room at once. Tom rolled his eyes at the noise before continuing to read. That is, until he saw that blasted git walking toward him, the rest of the quidditch team standing near the fire and looking on.

"What the hell is this?" Evan yelled out as soon as he was five feet away, throwing a scrap of paper at him. Tom reached up and caught it without moving from his reclining position.

Tom unfurled the paper and looked at it quizzically, "A note from Eleanor?"

"Eleanor didn't write that," Evan said, tone cold.

Tom stared at the paper once again, pretending to be confused, "Why would you think that? It is her handwriting, and it sounds like something she would say if she was angry."

"Eleanor did not write that note," Evan insisted.

Tom chuckled as if he was being silly, "Then who did?"

"You," Evan said with a glare.

"This is ridiculous," Tom hissed, looking back down at his book as if dismissing the blasted git.

"Eleanor _told_ me she didn't write me any note. And who else would write it but the bastard who wants to ruin our relationship?" Evan questioned, leaning forward.

"Get away from me," Tom threatened, his eyes narrowing.

"I'm going to tell Eleanor."

Tom's barking laugh filled the room, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were still five years old. By the way, good luck proving it to her when I have the note, and, oh, oops."

Tom smirked as he cast a spell to light the piece of paper on fire, dropping the ashes onto the carpeting. Evan's glare was directed straight at Tom now, his anger evident.

"You bastard. Do you think some little note is going to break us up? You lying to her about who I'm flirting with or what I'm up to is going to break us up? You don't even realize how unimportant you are, do you? Seriously, you think you're her best friend," it was Evan's laugh that now filled the room, "but she hates you. Hates you for everything you did to her. Don't panic, she didn't tell me what exactly you did. But I can see the look in her eyes when you touch her and she _hates_ it. Hates you. You're just a controlling bastard who thinks he can tell her what to do. Dream on. That's not going to last forever. She's going to be in love with me soon, and then you'll never speak to her again. _Never_, do you understand?"

Tom smirks and stands as if he's ready to leave, further teasing Evan by saying, "Really now? She's going to be in love with you? What potion have you been taking to delude yourself so much?"

"You fucking wanker!" Evan stepped forward, his curled fist hitting Tom's stomach. Tom gasped for breath. He hadn't anticipated just how strong the quidditch captain would be. Should have factored that in _before_ he decided that a fist fight was the way to go. Evan continued to glare down at him, "You touch my girlfriend again and I swear I will break your arm."

Tom actually laughed out loud. Admittedly, that first punch had hurt, but he knew he had to keep going otherwise this wouldn't work. And it had to work, after what Evan had said.

Evan hit him again, his fist landing on Tom's nose this time. Tom tried to hit back, but he'd had no experience with fist fights and wasn't nearly as strong as Evan was. Only a few minutes had passed before Tom was on the ground, Evan smashing his foot down on his chest and glaring at him as Tom tried to gasp for air.

"She's never going to love you," Tom managed to sputter out, feeling himself close to unconsciousness. He could really use his damn rescue right about now. Where was that fourth year girl who had just walked in a few seconds ago? Tom had been sure that she was going to go get Eleanor as soon as he'd seen the girl run up the stairs.

Evan pounced down on him once again, his fists colliding against every point of Tom's upper body. How dare this brat tell him that he wasn't going to get what he wanted. Eleanor was going to be his, and Evan would show this stupid bastard that he shouldn't interfere with their relationship anymore.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eleanor said, voice calm as she stood at the foot of the girls staircase, "Evan, whoever you're..."

Before Eleanor could finish her sentence, Evan jumped up, words tumbling from his lips, "Elle...he said something to me. He made me angry. You have to listen to my side of the story first."

Eleanor ran over as soon as she had looked down at the boy that had been Evan's victim of choice. How could he do this to Tom? Her voice was shaky as she leaned down next to Tom on the ground, "Bloody hell. I mean seriously. Let's get you cleaned up."

She grimaced as she helped Tom get off the ground, letting him drape an arm over her shoulders for support and slowly leading him towards the boys staircase.

"Elle," Evan whispered from behind her.

Eleanor didn't even turn around as she said, "Don't ever call me that again."

"Elle, he..." Evan started trying to explain, despite the fact that she was nearly at the staircase.

She shook her head, "I don't _care_ what he did."

It took an hour for Eleanor to get all the blood cleaned off of Tom and banish him to a hot shower before disinfecting his wounds and getting him in his pajamas. She laid down next to him, her fingers tracing over the bruises along his collarbone.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyes downcast.

"You didn't do this to me Elle."

"Indirectly, I did. I knew he didn't like you."

"Elle, this is not your fault." She tried to argue, but Tom just smiled at her, "Now, can we not talk about this tonight? We're both too tired to argue about your boyfriend."

"Whatever you want Tom," she responded, mimicking his smile. It was so rare for him to smile, and so out of place for him to smile right now, that she couldn't help but find it contagious. She found herself wishing her best friend could be truly happy – it was the only thing she had ever really wanted that badly.

"Sleep here?"

"Sure," Eleanor said, half absentmindedly. For the first time in two months, she let him wrap his arms around her. Tom's smile grew. He had won. He had her back.

* * *

><p>Eleanor didn't speak to Evan for nearly two weeks. He kept trying to come up to her to apologize and explain himself and promise he would never do it again, but she just ignored him. Finally, one of the boys on the quidditch team managed to convince Eleanor that Evan was telling the truth, and Tom really had said something awful, and that Evan was going to change. Evan promised that if Eleanor took him back, he would cancel half the quidditch practices to spend more time with her, have civil conversations with Tom, and basically be the best boyfriend ever.<p>

Tom didn't know exactly what made Eleanor give in. One day, everything was perfect again, and the next Eleanor was having lunch with Evan again, and they were kissing each other right there in the Great Hall in front of everyone. It made Tom want to puke, even more than their previous displays of affection had.

It was time for part two of his plan to get underway. Sadly, he had to wait nearly a week for the love potion to mature. When it was ready, he placed the potion inside of Evan's quidditch water bottle. There was only one girl on the team, and that girl was none other than Lucretia Black, substitute seeker. It was perfection.

Eleanor was sitting at dinner that day, picking at her food when she suddenly looked around, "That's odd, all the other players are back but Evan isn't here yet. I'm just going to go check on him, he's probably nearly broken his ankle again and he's terrible with healing spells."

Eleanor was met with quite a surprise when she opened the door of the boys changing room to find Evan lying on top of Lucretia on one of the benches, both barely clothed. The cup of cocoa she was holding immediately crashed to the ground. Both looked up at that, Lucretia smirking and Evan looking dazed. Before either could say anything, Eleanor ran off, back to the castle, back to Tom, back to the one person she could actually trust. She didn't say anything as she tugged Tom away from the table, out of the Great Hall, down to the dungeons, and up to his room.

As soon as the door was locked behind them, she burst into tears. Tom stepped forward and held her, waiting for her to calm down before saying anything. When she was finally wiping the last tears from her eyes, he asked her, "What happened?"

"Evan and Lucretia and...why am I never good enough for anybody?" Tears pricked at her eyes again.

"Elle, it's not your fault," Tom tried to comfort her to no avail.

"How can it not be? No one ever stays with me. Not my parents, and not..."

Tom interrupted her, "Except me Elle. Look Elle, I'm right here. I'm all you're ever going to need."

"You're going to leave me too, once you find a girl pretty and smart enough to fancy! You're going to marry her and leave me all alone, a spinster like always."

He tilted her face up, looking earnestly into her reddened eyes, "Eleanor, I will never leave you. I will never let any harm come to you. I will always be here for you, for as long as you and I both live. Forever."

It was that night that Tom Riddle decided that he had to be immortal – he couldn't break his promise to Eleanor, he couldn't leave her just because of some duel or accident or any other number of things that could take a mortal life. He had to be invincible. And most of all, he had to live forever. Forever with her.

**The road leading to a goal does not separate you from the destination; it is essentially a part of it. - Charles DeLint**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I know, it's been a long time. I promise I haven't abandoned this story. I was just having a really hard time with this chapter, and then school took over my life. For all those going to college soon: the quarter system like a constant sprint from reading to lectures to papers to tests. I am happy to finally have it done as a present to my readers.

Next chapter will be up around the new year (**January 1**). It will be a summary of fifth year and the start of sixth year. Review responses will be posted next chapter as well, I decided I will do them every few chapters as a thank you to all those who take time to read my notes and review.

Please review if you have any questions/comments/kind words. I try to consider review commentary while writing every chapter, so I promise you're review will be important to me. Anonymous reviews accepted too!

_Consider a review your present to me. Happy holidays :)_


	15. Bindings

**The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself. - Nietzsche**

_Note: The Regulus Black in this story is Sirius' uncle, NOT Sirius' brother._

The rest of fourth and fifth year passed in a quite predictable way - Eleanor would run off with some prat, Tom would scold her for it, she would become bored of the prat, and it would be Tom's job to convince said prat to leave her be. She was becoming a bit too wild even for him to reign in - it was nearly guaranteed that they would have at least one screaming match at the Slytherin table over dinner per month. She had moods - when she was in a good one, she was the same best friend Tom had always had, when she wasn't, she was determined to defy him.

Tom had developed quite a group of "friends" - Regulus Black, Amycus Carrow, Antonin Dolohov, Bellatrix Black, Theodore Nott, and Astoria Greengrass - the brightest minds of Slytherin. These friends had also gotten quite used to dealing with Eleanor's shenanigans - looking for her whenever Tom had asked them where she was, fetching her away when she was talking with someone Tom didn't want her around, diffusing the situation between Tom and Eleanor enough that it didn't come to blows or curses.

And so it was that Tom and Eleanor had a fight one day near the beginning of sixth year. It wasn't anything unusual for them to fight these days, so Eleanor knew where to find him after he had stormed off when she'd mentioned something about dates.

"Tom?" She climbed up the stairs to the astronomy tower, "What are you doing up here?"

"Nothing," he answered sullenly, not bothering to look at her.

She leaned against the railing next to him, looking down at the ground. She shivered at the sight, since she was afraid of heights, and turned around to face the wall instead. Tom smirked. He grabbed her and lifted her off her feet, seating her on the railing.

"Tom!" She screamed and he just leaned forward, pushing her back as she lost her balance, "This isn't funny. Let go of me."

"Okay, I'll let go of you." He started moving his hands back.

She screamed and grabbed him, "Please Tom. I'm scared."

"Really?" He pried her hands off of him with one of his.

"Really. Come on. Please."

The smirk stayed on his face. She knew well enough not to try to escape. Tom would let her go when he'd had his fun, and ending it too soon would just make him find a worse way to punish her for whatever she had said to provoke him. After five more minutes of being dangled over the edge and pleading, Tom let her back down on her feet.

Maybe if she was stronger, or taller, or better at magic, Tom wouldn't have this kind of advantage over her. Then again, they probably wouldn't have been friends. Instead of talking to him like she'd planned, she decided to leave. That was her punishment to him. She picked up her bag, which she'd rested against the stair rail.

"Where are you going?" He asked, staring her down.

"I have a potion to make up for Slughorn."

"You're lying," he was never sure with her any longer though.

"I'm not," she started heading down the stairs.

"Then I'll walk you there. I'm going to the common room anyway."

She just shrugged, "Okay."

He couldn't believe she had agreed. He was sure she had been lying this time.

She's walking down the stairs coolly, he's following, when suddenly she says something.

He freezes, glaring at her. "What?"

She looks up, giving him a true snake smile. She can tell from his tone that he knows what she said, but his reaction isn't one she wants to push further, "Nothing Tom. Nothing."

Before she could even turn around, he snatched her journal from her bag and ran to the railing, challenging her, "Say it again."

"Really, never mind. Just forget about it."

"I'll drop it Elle."

"Give it back first and i'll tell you."

"Tell me first."

"I was just going to ask if you minded me not going to Hogsmead with you this weekend."

His expression changed to slight surprise. "Why wouldn't you go with me?"

"I was just thinking about making other plans."

"Well are you going with me or not?"

"I don't know."

He held the notebook over the edge, the wind fluttering the pages. A few loose bits of paper were already starting to fly out. Walking closer, she reached out for it.

"Just give it back to me Tom. This is silly."

She was pressed against him now, reaching her arm out parallel to his, but she still couldn't reach her journal. He held her chin between his fingers, pulling it up so she was looking him in the eyes, "We have plans. You will keep them. Always."

She nodded, looking back out at her journal nervously. He moved his arm back in, but didn't hand her it to her, instead tucking it away in his own bag, which was hanging off his shoulder.

"I'll give this back to you in a few days."

"That's private Tom."

"Which is why I'm so curious about it."

"Just give it back to me. You said you would."

"I didn't say when."

"You didn't say you would keep it."

"Stop arguing with me."

She sighed. Without looking back, she marched away.

He smirked. She could leave. At least now he had something to keep him occupied.

* * *

><p>Fuming, she stomped down the hallways to the library. Tom might have her journal, but at least he couldn't easily read it. It would take him a few days, at least, to unlock all the charms that protected her writings. Still, he had her journal. The thought of him even maybe being able to read it worried her.<p>

Before she even reached the library she ran into Aiden. And of course, he could read the distress on her face. In the year Eleanor had snuck around Tom's back in order to be friends with the Gryffindor, he had become well accustomed to the mood swings any interaction with Tom accompanied.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"What did that bastard do this time? Never mind, I don't care what he did. Where is he? I'm going to get him for everything else he's done to you."

"Don't worry about Tom."

"You can handle him? Don't tell me that again. Last time you did I caught you out in the middle of the night looking for him."

"It's not a big deal."

"I don't get why you would want a friend like that anyway."

"I'm fine Aiden."

"I can't believe you don't just let me take care of that dolt."

"I don't want to talk about this. So why are you out here?"

"The library's a little crowded. Do you just want to go outside to study? I've already got some snacks from the kitchen, we can set up a nice little picnic."

"That sounds wonderful."

They walked in silence for a few minutes until they found a spot under the shade of an old oak tree past the lake. As they sat down she stretched her legs out, her back against the tree. "I can't go to Hogsmeade with you this weekend. I know I told you I could, but I forgot about…"

"Is this what the bastard did?"

"Its just that I already had plans with a few friends and…"

"Meaning him right?"

"Yes, but its really my fault I didn't think about the fact that I had plans before."

"Fine, I had some things to catch up on anyway."

"I promise I'll go to the next one with you."

"Shouldn't you ask him for permission first?" Aiden sneered.

She actually laughed, "No."

He smiled for the first time all day, "You promise?"

* * *

><p>"Aperiototus" Tom whispered, waving his wand over her book. He huffed once again as the text remained hidden. He looked down at the journal, searching his mind for any combination of spells he could use. Shaking his head, he closed the journal and put it back into his bag. He would work on it later, maybe after dinner.<p>

Sighing, he stood up. Where was she? Leaning against the rail, he looked out over the grounds, thinking. He would check the library first, then the great hall, and the common room.

His eyes scanned the grounds quickly, catching sight of familiar brown hair. Looks like he didn't have to go looking for her after all. But who was with her? A gryffindork. This had to be some kind of joke. Maybe it was her idea of revenge.

* * *

><p>"So the ingredients go in in that order?"<p>

"Yes."

"Okay, so its sneezewort, scurvy-grass, and lovage."

"Correct."

Aiden smiled. "I think I've got it."

"So you're not going to blow up your cauldron this time?"

"I hope not."

"Didn't Slughorn give you detention for that?"

"Two weeks. It's absolute hell. He has me polishing picture frames for an hour each night."

"At least it isn't cleaning cauldrons."

"At least then I wouldn't have to listen to him talk for an entire hour. Did you know you were his golden child?"

She laughed, "Oh please. Slughorn has hated me ever since I set everyone's potion on fire."

"He just acts like he has. He goes on and on about how brilliant you are. How you mixed this perfectly and cut these ingredients exactly."

"What can I say, I have a natural talent."

"For bending rules."

She smirked quickly, but her expression quickly turned to a frown as she looked into the distance, "Oh god, it's one of Tom's little lackeys."

"Should I leave?"

She stood, "Don't worry about it, I'll be back in a second."

He saw the Slytherin walking towards her glare at him. He glared back, wondering what exactly he would report back to Riddle about him.

"Hello Dolohov. What are you doing out on a sunny day? Aren't you allergic to sunlight?"

"Funny. Care to explain what you are doing first?"

"Why would I need to explain myself to you?"

"Oh, it's not me you should be worried about."

"Really? Then why are you asking?"

"You do remember what house you're in, don't you?"

"Yes, I do."

"And what house is he in?"

"I think you remember. He clobbered your team in quidditch last week."

"It's your team too."

"I'm not captain of it. Go tell Tom he's pathetic."

"Want to rethink that statement?"

"No."

He marched past her, grabbing her bag and books off the ground, "Come on."

"What?"

"You are leaving."

"No, I am not."

He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her forward, whispering into her ear, "Tom is really incredibly pissed. And he is not going to get any less pissed the longer he waits. So I suggest you come right now without me pulling you along."

"Let go of her," Aiden ordered. He stood up and was now walking forward. "If Riddle has a problem he can come deal with me. Me, not her."

"Fuck off."

She faked a smile, despite knowing how much trouble she was in, "Sit down Aiden. I'm fine."

"No, you are not. And if that moron does not get his hands off of you in ten seconds, he sure as hell won't be."

She muttered something under her breath and Dolohov rapidly let go of her arm, cradling his hand. "Now Dolohov, be a darling and go tell Tom my message, would you?"

"Just so you know, if he kills you this time none of us will be vouching on your behalf. A gryffindork? You really have found a new low."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, snatching her things back. "I don't imagine Tom will be very happy with you either." Then she turned back to Aiden. "Page 45, shall we?"

"Maybe you should go," Aiden refused to look at her. "I mean, I don't want you to get in trouble with your house."

"I think I'll take my chances."

"I have practice soon anyway. I'll walk you to the dungeons?"

"Sure," she said, hiding her disappointment.

* * *

><p>Tom didn't even look at her, not even a glare. He sat in the center of his usual group. A few of them turned their heads when she came in, but quickly looked away.<p>

Eleanor walked past them, up to her dorm room to put away her stuff. When she came back, Tom sat silent and alone. She looked around curiously, wondering why the common room had emptied out.

"A Gryffindor?" Tom suddenly said. "Really."

"Well Riddle, weren't you the one that said I would never be a real Slytherin? I suppose this proves you right."

"You're not a Slytherin."

"Good. If I was, I might remind myself of you."

Even for Elle, especially for Elle, that was a cold comment. Everyone else might comment on how rude, selfish and malignant he was, but Elle had always defended him. Of course, when it came down to it, she saw all his flaws. If someone had told her he took joy in other people's pain, she wouldn't argue for the statement's untruth but rather for understanding on why Tom was the way he was.

Even she said plenty of mean things about him, most often straight to his face, but she had never gone so far as to say he was a bad person. Now, her statement seemed to suggest that. The fact that they were so alike had always been their reason for sticking together. Now, she was saying they weren't, taking away the reason he had to be around her.

He knew it had to be because of that boy, the traitorous Gryffindor. He knew he shouldn't have let her be by herself, ever.

She turned, looking at him instead of the fire, "I suppose there's really no reason for standing here now that I'm not a Slytherin. If you need me, I'll be on the quidditch pitch."

She said that more out of habit then anything. But then he realized, knowing where she was would give him a chance to apologize. Not that he ever would.

* * *

><p>She couldn't remember eating a meal at the Slytherin table, sitting in the Slytherin common room, or talking to anyone wearing a green tie in the last 3 weeks. She could remember where she usually sat at the Gryffindor table, the corner in the library where she studied with Aiden, and the names of several of the Gryffindor students she had worked with in class.<p>

She was in the library again with Aiden, drilling potions ingredients and transfiguration spells for upcoming tests.

Suddenly, he looked up from his books and said, "There's a Hogsmeade trip this weekend."

She nodded, "I noticed that. Are you going?"

"Well I was thinking…we could go together."

"I did promise you that, didn't I?"

He smiled, "I wasn't sure you remembered."

"I'm not that forgetful ye…" Eleanor felt a tug on her arm. When she looked up, Riddle's face greeted her, glaring across the table. He still hadn't let go of his death grip on her arm.

"Get up. You are leaving. And you are not, I repeat, not going anywhere with this bumbling moron ever. Understand that, moron?"

"I understand that you saying something doesn't mean she has to listen, Riddle. Now if you would kindly leave us be, like you have been for the last few weeks, it would be a great improvement."

"A truly great improvement would be your death."

"Honestly Riddle, you haven't wanted anything to do with me in the last three weeks and now you take an interest? You always do love to ruin things just when they're getting good."

"You don't belong with this dog."

"But you're the one that said I don't belong in Slytherin either. So were do I belong? With your loyal friends in Ravenclaw, or with your stuttering allies in Hufflepuff?"

"You're a Slytherin, what you fail to do is act like one. Stop scavenging with the pathetic mutt and gain some pride."

"What is pride to you? Groveling over every step you take? Obeying every word you say?"

"Pride is knowing who you are and where you belong!"

"Enlighten me Riddle. Where do I belong?"

"You know where you belong."

"Apparently I'm wrong, because I'm perfectly fine belonging right here, studying with a Gryffindor."

"She's right, she's perfectly fine here, without you. So move along Riddle." Aiden said, standing as if he could separate her from Tom so easily.

"You filthy little dog, don't you dare talk to me like that again. Expu..."

Before Aiden could draw his wand too and make this into a fight, she took Tom's hand in her own, pulling his wand down. "Riddle, I will talk to you later."

"No, you will come with me now."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. Put your wand away." Once his wand was back in his pocket, she started to pack up her stuff.

She stopped before walking past Aiden. "I'll see you at dinner," she said as she wrapped an arm around him in a quick hug. He wrapped an arm around her, pressing her to his chest, and whispering something into her ear. She laughed and he kissed her cheek.

As they were walking out, Tom moved his lips to a three-word phrase. Aiden grabbed his arm, feeling pain shooting through it.

* * *

><p>She felt the familiar pang of his disapproving gaze. Ever since they had first become friends, she had just wanted Tom to be happy for once, and she was willing to do anything to achieve that. She still wanted Tom to be happy, but she was never going to give up her own happiness for that.<p>

They stopped walking near a window that looked out onto the forest by the lake. Tom kept glaring and frowning, but she couldn't be angry with him for it.

"Please just smile for me Tom."

"Like your dear little Gryffindor does?" He sneered.

She rolled her eyes, "You aren't the only person I can be friends with."

He looked up at her, a glint in his eye, "Obviously you don't understand Elle."

"Then explain it to me."

He was leaning toward her, trapping her against the wall, "I don't want you to be around anyone like him."

"And how are you going to stop me?"

"Like this," Tom leaned forward, pressing his lips against hers. She stood there, surprised. His arms slowly curled around her. This was lasting much too long.

"Let's see if he wants to be your 'friend' now that he saw that," Tom whispers in Eleanor's ear, smirking as he moves away. He tilts his head to the right, "If you're going to spy on us, you might as well make it less obvious Belvedere."

Aiden leaned against the corner of the two hallways, glaring. When she looked at him he turned around rapidly, walking away.

She looked up at Tom's smug face, "I can't believe you would…"

"Get over it. Get over him while you're at it." Tom sneered. She tried to push him away, but his strength won out, "You won't be talking to him again."

"What makes you think so?"

"5th year, Forbidden Forest." She flinched at the memory. "You were lucky enough that I was the only prefect there, but what if I suddenly decided to report it?"

"You're going to blackmail me. Really Tom?"

"Yes. From now on you listen to me. About everything. Understand?"

Eleanor rolled my eyes, but she knew what he had against her was a real threat. All because of one bad night, she would have to be Tom Riddle's until graduation.

"Understand?" he said more sharply. She nodded. He looked genuinely scary, more so than ever before, but maybe only because now he had more power over her than ever before.

"Now go on, I have some issues to take care of," Tom's eyes twinkled with cruelty. "Well just one issue really. I'll see you at dinner. Be on time, sit next to me, and don't even think of looking at your dear little lions."

Problem solved perfectly. At least in Tom's opinion. One could say this wasn't exactly a friendship, but her foray with insubordination had shown him that if I wanted them to stay the same way they had always been, he would have to be a little stricter. Scare her again. Assert his control. Whatever you called it, she would be punished for her embarrassing but temporary abandonment. However, that pathetic Gryffindor didn't seem thoroughly defeated yet. He had gotten a little knock to his ego, but that wouldn't be enough to keep him from sticking around. He needed to be completely torn down, and Tom knew just how to do that.

* * *

><p>"Having fun with your date?" Aiden spat at her as she waited for her drink to be ready. She was leaning against the bar in the Three Broomsticks. Tom was sitting at a table in the corner, reading The Daily Prophet.<p>

"No," She answered truthfully.

Aiden looked at her more closely, "Were you cryi…?"

She gave him a half-smile, cutting him off, "Don't ask, don't tell."

He stared over at her, analyzing her face. It wasn't like he had no experience with this. Tom had been yelling at her, hitting her, and controlling her since the first day Aiden and Eleanor had met. He had never known her without Tom hanging in the background like some specter, keeping their facade of perfection together. Aiden had too much experience with the expression she had just given him to brush it off, "I asked, so tell."

She stood there in silence. He looked down awkwardly, noticing three horizontal bruises slashing across her wrist. He touched one to see. She flinched.

"Did that just happen?" She hid her arm under the bar. "Is that why you're…?"

She cut him off angrily, "I'm not crying."

"It's that bastard again, right? Why the hell are you with him when he thinks he has the right to do that to you?"

"I am not with him."

"I fucking saw you!" He shook his head. "Never mind."

"Never mind what?" A sleek voice questioned from behind her. He looked up and saw Tom standing over her, his hands on her shoulders. He slid them down, interlocking them around her waist.

Aiden glared at him. Tom picked up the butterbeers as the bartender slipped them forward, "Come on darling."

She flinched when he called her that, but let herself be pulled along.

**When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself. - Wayne Dyer**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I know, I am so slow. I've been having a hard time finding the time, energy, and private space to write while away at college. I have actually had this written for a while and couldn't even find time to edit it. But I do have a worship-worthy Spring schedule, so hopefully updates will be more frequent from now on. By the way, I will be shooting another chapter tomorrow. If you're looking to read something in the mean time, my other Tom Riddle story has also been updated. I will keep updating all my stories, updates will just be a lot slower during the school year.

_Please review if you have any questions/comments. And no excuses, because you can submit anonymous reviews! Thank you for reading :)_


	16. Revenge, Reunion

**Nothing is so strong as gentleness. Nothing is so gentle as real strength. - Frances de Sales**

To Eleanor Jouteur, living with Tom Riddle was just another fact of life. Being with Tom was like breathing - passively done but constant. Being away from Tom was like suffocating - she felt crushed by the vicious world and afraid of the people around her. Without being aware of it, she followed Tom, to the library and to the meals and on walks. Without being aware of it, she became like him, taking the same classes and reading the same books and talking in the same way. Constant togetherness has a way of attaching one person to another. Constant togetherness for twelve years has a way of making one person weak for life.

To Tom Riddle, living without Eleanor Jouteur was an impossible idea. He had already made up his mind to stay with her forever. He believed she had already promised him she would do so. He thumbed through the pages of her diary, which he had unlocked so easily that the fact that it was filled with mostly mundane passages hardly bothered him. Now and again he came across something about that stupid lion - what had been his name, Aiden Belvedere? That was just another of her passing fancies, just another boy she would forget about as easily as she had first spotted him. She and Tom - now that would last.

He fumbled through the pages again. Tom had returned the journal to her via owl when they had stopped speaking, but he'd temporarily figured he could steal it from her sack once again while she was away at lunch just to see if she was up to anything new.

**_ October 17th_**

_Dear diary,_

_Aiden took me out flying today. I suppose he was trying to prove his superior skills as quidditch captain. I hadn't been since first year lessons - Tom wouldn't let me. He doesn't think it's good for me. I can see his point, it does seem quiet easy to catch cold out there...and well, it is Tom. It isn't as if he ever feels the need to have fun.  
><em>

_Anyway, Aiden and I went flying, and he took me everywhere on the grounds. It was very odd seeing the campus from above. It was wonderful most of the time, but the showoff was always doing dangerous dives and stopping on the tops of towers just to prove he could. We flew over the forbidden forest, and it was odd to see all the creatures that lived in it. We also passed by the window of the headmaster's office (empty, luckily) and it was odd to see all the candies Dippet had stacked on his desk. Sometimes I think he is just like a child himself. Tom would be a much better headmaster, he does love rules so._

_But there I go talking about Tom again. Always Tom, Tom, Tom...it's as if I cannot survive without mentioning him for a minute. It's a bit ridiculous, especially now that he's gotten rid of me. I suppose it was inevitable that he would throw me away eventually too, no one is ever good enough for him. Aiden's right, Tom was always quite mean to me. And anyway, he has such a terrible personality, always sneering and making snide comments. What a ridiculous boy. I shall be glad I don't have to spend eternity with him._

_So, back to Aiden we go. Would you believe that we are already planning our summer together? It is quite silly I suppose, but I cannot help such things around him - I have never met anyone more enthusiastic, more clever, more energetic, than him in my life, nor could I imagine doing so. Aiden has a sort of perfection I know I at least could never achieve. I would guess that it comes from always being happy. How I wish I could always be happy along with him._

If there was one thing Tom Riddle especially excelled at, it was revenge. And he knew this little passage called for it - moreover, he knew the perfect form of revenge. Finally, a good use for that bottle of polyjuice potion he had been nicked from Slughorn last year.

* * *

><p>That night, while on prefect patrols, Tom runs into Lucretia Black and makes it look like an accident.<p>

"Lucretia!" He says, feigning excitement.

"Oh, bother. I was just going back to the common room. You aren't going to give me a detention for being out after curfew, are you?" She asks, pouting.

"You're off the hook this time," Tom says with his signature devious smirk, "In fact, I may just keep you out a while longer."

Lucretia blushes, picking up his undertones, "Long time, no see Tom."

"I know, much to my regret. I was actually just thinking about fourth year - do you remember the night of the Yule Ball?"

Lucretia returns the smirk, "I remember it quite well."

"If I could just get a taste of that night again," Tom says seductively, running his eyes up and down Lucretia's figure and finishing with a smirk. "Or perhaps a bit more than just a taste."

Lucretia's trying to return the seductive look now too, posing provocatively against the wall she's leaning on, "Perhaps you can get a taste."

And that's how Tom's little affair with Lucretia starts. He runs into her every night for nearly two weeks, attempting not to vomit as he kisses her and pretends he actually has an interest in her.

One night, Lucretia whines, "If you like me so much why can't we have a real relationship Tom? Why does this all have to be so secret?"

Tom acts as if he sympathizes with her, "I've already told you darling - I wouldn't want to just abandon Eleanor. You know nobody ever asks her on a date. If I start dating you, she will be jealous...and I wouldn't want to endanger you in case she wanted to get revenge."

"Who cares about Eleanor?" Lucretia asks sourly.

Tom pretends to just have thought of something, "I know! There's this boy that fancies here - sadly, a gryffindor, but probably the only one she can catch. Too bad she's too afraid to ask him out."

"If it gets her out of the way, I would ask him out for her!" Lucretia proclaims.

"That's brilliant darling," Tom says, kissing her, "I've got some polyjuice potion left over, why don't you just use it to look like Eleanor and ask him to Hogsmeade next week? Then Eleanor will have a date and leave me free to take you!"

"Let's do it!" Lucretia says happily, "Tomorrow after lunch. Just give me the potion and tell me where he is."

* * *

><p>Lucretia takes the polyjuice potion right away. After a few minutes, she goes wandering around the third floor, trusting that she will run into the boy Tom told her about as he leaves the library. When he walks out of the doors, she immediately recognizes him by his brown hair and blue eyes and red tie, and runs around the floor to meet him in front of the staircase. Of course, being in such a rush, she actually runs into him.<p>

Forgetting she looks like Eleanor, his apparent crush, she almost actually says sorry. There's no need for that, as he immediately catches her when she falls back. When she's on her feet again, she sees the biggest, whitest smile she's ever witnessed.

"Eleanor! I never thought I'd see you again, at least not without Riddle," he says with a smile, which falls a second later, "Though of course you wouldn't want to talk to me, I did rush to judgement a bit last time. Rose has talked some sense into me. I'll just…"

"Actually, I had something to ask you," Lucretia says, trying to make herself seem more demure, "but I didn't think I would be seeing you."

"Really? Did you need help with an assignment or something?" Aiden asks, more serious now.

"No. I was actually wondering if you would go to Hogsmede with me next week," Lucretia asks.

"I would love to! But...won't Riddle be a problem?" Aiden says, looking nervous now.

"Riddle will be busy with his own thing. So do you want to meet in Hogsmede around 10? I have some other things to take care of first," Lucretia says with a smile, finally using the line Tom had told her so many times.

"Works for me. See you next Saturday," Aiden says, that big grin back on his face.

"See you," Lucretia says before trotting down the staircase.

* * *

><p>Eleanor and Tom are sitting at one of the bay windows on the second floor, working on their History of Magic project together, along with their third partner. She purses her lips before speaking up, "Do you think I should put all the troll rebellions under Richard III on the timeline of the 15th century?"<p>

"If it helps fill space, sure," David responds, a Ravenclaw who had chosen to be in their group for this project. It had been no surprise to Tom, who had noticed Eleanor flirting with him in their last few classes. Tom had chosen to ignore it, trying to keep his relationship with Eleanor on good terms so everything worked for the Hogsmede trip just a day away.

Tom waits a few minutes before suddenly turning to Eleanor, taking a break from the essay portion he had been working on. Tom tries to keep a smirk off his face as he says, "Elle, I forgot to ask you earlier - would you mind accompanying me to Hogsmead tomorrow? I just need to pick up a few things, and I would hate doing the walk alone."

Eleanor looks up, her eyebrows raising for a second. She's surprised he would actually ask nicely for something - she's more used to him simply telling her she has to come with him. She tests the waters, saying, "I actually wasn't planning on going. I was going to check on my plants for herbology tomorrow morning."

"That's fine then, I suppose I can go it alone if I have to," Tom responds, turning back to his work.

"Oh, I'll just do it when we get back. It's not that urgent after all. What time did you want to leave?" Eleanor asks, trying to become accustomed to his new politeness.

"I wanted to leave at 10, if you don't mind," Tom responds.

"That's fine with me," Eleanor says calmly, looking back at her paper.

Tom smirks later on as he notices she's completely lost interest in the Ravenclaw - when David asks her a question, she barely responds with three words, and she's not giving him that intent look or that coy smile anymore. Perhaps being nice will go a long way for Tom.

* * *

><p>Eleanor and Tom finish their parts of the project together that night, in Tom's room. She finishes before Tom, so she lays down in his bed as she waits for him.<p>

"And done," Tom says a few minutes later, slinking up to the bed, "Now, if you don't mind, it's a bit late for me, so I will be going to bed."

Eleanor turns to her side, facing him, and raises an eyebrow, "Going to bed? At 11?"

"Not everyone is a night owl like you," Tom says with a smirk, teasingly poking her side and then leaving his hand on her waist. Instead of tensing up like he expects her to, she seems to relax even more.

"Now that you mention it, I am a bit tired myself. If you don't mind, I will be going to bed," Eleanor responds with a smirk, and then moves to the edge of the bed, preparing to stand up.

Tom pulls her back down, "Did you just make fun of me for going to bed at 11 and then proceed to attempt to do the same thing?"

"Oh, I am not just attempting," Eleanor responds.

"I beg to differ," Tom says, pulling her in towards him.

Eleanor laughs, "Well, if you say so…"

Tom smiles. He actually smiles. In front of her. Eleanor almost has a heart attack. And while he's smiling, he says, "So you are staying?"

Eleanor fakes a pout, "Nope. Sorry."

"Stay Elle," Tom whines, "We'll both be going to the same place tomorrow morning anyway. Some of your clothes are already here. Do you really want to walk back to your room in the cold right now when there's a nice warm bed right here?"

She thinks for a second, "I most certainly do not."

"Good," Tom whispers, kissing her cheek. His arms surround her, wandering down her back. His lips start to wander too, sliding across her cheek to meet hers.

Eleanor doesn't ask. She's learned not to. She's also learned not to say no. Normal boundaries simply do not apply to her friendship with Tom anymore - and she's given into the fact that, if it's physical comfort he wants, she's willing to give it to him. They have been together nearly all their lives after all, she can't reject him now. She can't leave him to be lonely, to have no one - and she knows he will never make this kind of bond with anyone else. She knows he knows it doesn't mean anything more than friendship, more than friendly love. And she knows he knows that she's just his best friend and, in a way, his shoulder to cry on. Of course, Tom never actually cries, but she knows that when he wants this kind of thing it means he needs that same kind of reassurance.

Suddenly, he pulls away from her completely, a grimace on his face. He looks away as he says, "Sorry, I know you don't…"

She shushes him with a smile, "It's fine Tom."

He still refuses to make eye contact, "You don't have to say that."

Her hands slide up to his face, cupping it gently to turn him toward her.

"Tom, my Tom," Eleanor says, the sadness in her voice contradicting the smile on her face, "You know I would give anything to make you happy, right?"

And he knows she's trying to say she would give herself. That if this makes him happy, she's more than willing to cooperate. That if this is what he wants, she's going to let him have it. If she's what he wants, she will let him have her. And he does want her, but he doesn't want this. He doesn't want her to just give. He wants this to be what makes her happy too.

* * *

><p>Tom smiles and whispers, "I know. You know I would give you anything you wanted."<p>

Her smile brightens a little, "I know."

And he can't believe it, but she kisses him again. Willingly. He returns the kiss, trying to tell her something without using words: he doesn't just want her, he needs her to want him.

Tom smiles when he wakes up and Eleanor's still in his arms. He wakes her up with a kiss on the cheek and a whisper in her ear. They get ready together and then go down to breakfast together and then head down to Hogsmead together. Tom purposely waits until most people are gone, so they are the only ones on the path down to Hogsmeade.

As they're going down, Eleanor kicks the leaves gathered on the ground. Tom suddenly smiles, "Remember when you were seven? You used to go outside just to gather a huge pile of leaves and jump into it from a tree branch."

Eleanor laughs, "Now that I think about it, that probably wasn't the best idea."

"Definitely not, I remember my seven-year-old self having to bandage up your cuts afterward," Tom comments, reaching out to hold her hand.

They continue to remember childhood memories as they approach the end of their walk down to Hogsmede. Eleanor is so busy laughing with Tom that she doesn't even notice Aiden standing near the entrance to Hogsmede, staring intently at them.

"Let's go this way," Tom whispers in her ear, pulling her towards him when they're a few dozen feet away from the entrance, "Less crowded."

Aiden doesn't need to follow them to know what's going on. When he sees them walking together happily, he immediately turns and trudges back to campus angrily. He should have known this was just another chance for her to rub her happiness with Tom in his face. He should have known she would never actually want to go to Hogsmeade with him, not when she had the amazing, handsome, smart, perfect Tom Riddle in her arms instead. Maybe Aiden had been good enough for her while Tom had been angry - but now that she had practically jumped back into his arms, why would she want some boring, dumb Gryffindor bothering her?

* * *

><p>It was nearly two weeks later that the real Eleanor ran into Aiden. She was taking one of her trademark walks around the campus, looking at the bare trees now that it was almost November, and she had literally bumped into him.<p>

"Fancy seeing you here," she says with a smile, finally deciding she's brave enough to stand up to Tom's threats and try again with this friendship. When he doesn't respond after a few seconds, she asks, "Off to quidditch practice?"

He walks around her and keeps going. Confused, she follows him, calling out, "Aiden, is everything okay?"

"Bloody fantastic," he mumbles, "Now would you just leave me alone?"

"What happened Aiden?" Eleanor asks, still following, "I know what Tom did might have surprised you, but I can explain..."

"You can explain ditching me to go to Hogsmead with him instead?" Aiden says angrily.

"What? We never even made plans to go to Hogsmead!" She shouts back, brow furrowed.

Aiden turns around, his expression showing his exasperation with her, "What, did you suddenly forget that you asked me to go to Hogsmead with you? Well, that sure would explain why I saw you going with Riddle instead!"

Eleanor grabs his arm to stop him from walking on, "What are you talking about? I never asked you to Hogsmead. Are you sure you haven't remembered the wrong person asking you?"

"Of course I'm sure, just as sure as I am about you ditching me for Riddle! You were standing right there in you're bloody pink tie..."

Eleanor cuts him off, almost laughing, "Pink tie? Talk about atrocious - I would never wear that. You must be remembering the wrong person."

"Yeah, a person that happened to look just like you and was, for some completely logical reason, pretending to be you," Aiden says, laughing at her, "If you're done playing your ridiculous games, I have a quidditch practice to go to."

Aiden turned and began walking again. Eleanor sat down beneath one of the trees, wrapping her coat and black scarf around her, to think about how such a thing could be possible.

It only took one passage of Lucretia Black and her gossiping friends for Eleanor to realize what had happened - she hadn't been blind to Lucretia's looks at Tom, and she knew Tom wouldn't have let such a chance to plot slip from his fingers. She thought back to the last time she'd been in his room and tried to recall if the old bottle of polyjuice potion was still displayed on his desk. She was nearly a hundred percent sure that it wasn't.

Eleanor stood, warming her cold hands as she walked to the quidditch pitch. She missed having a friend. She waited nearly twenty minutes for Aiden to walk out of the locker room, almost starting to doubt that he was even still in there. As soon as he saw her, he motioned to turn back around.

"Aiden, it wasn't me! I can explain - polyjuice potion." When Eleanor sees Aiden roll his eyes, she becomes worried, "What, you don't believe me?"

"I believe you. I just can't believe I fell for another one of Riddle's plots. At this rate, if we don't become friends again, it will be my fault for being gullible," Aiden says, adding a smirk at the end.

"Well, I suppose we'll have to be friends again then," Eleanor responds with a similar smirk, "Shall we get some hot cocoa and sit on the pitch sharing stories in order to inaugurate our rekindled friendship?"

"I think we shall," Aiden responds, now smiling.

**The cosmos is neither moral or immoral; only people are. - Edward Ericson**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I know, I know...it's been a while. Please do not hurt me (or give up on this story). As I said, I haven't given up on writing. I've just slowed down dramatically, because now I have a job and school and the rest of life to worry about. Not going to lie, this chapter was a struggle too and I don't love it, but please give me a bit of leeway as I try to get back into fanfiction. Also, I really do write for you guys (otherwise these stories would be hidden away on my computer), so I am going to go back and read all of the previous reviews and try to incorporate the comments into the direction this story will take and my future writing style, so I apologize if there is any inconsistency in the next few chapters.

_Please review if you have any questions/comments. And no excuses, because you can submit anonymous reviews! I will also be responding to reviews personally for this and the next few chapters soon, if that gives you any incentive. Thank you for reading :)_


	17. Stasis

**"Sometimes it seems the harder you try to hold on to something or someone the more it wants to get away. ...It confuses you, because you think that your feelings were wrong and it makes you feel so small because it's so hard to keep it inside when you let it out and it doesn't come back." - Henry Rollins**

Tom and Eleanor were on their way to breakfast when she realized that she had forgotten her book for Potions, which she needed to finish an essay while Tom was reading in the library. She had turned back, running to get it from her room. Tom hadn't wanted her to go alone, of course, but he needed to eat quickly so he could get a book from the library, which had been off the shelf for the last two weeks, before anyone else took it. She had convinced him to go ahead, saying she would have something to eat and get to the library before long.

Since it was a Saturday, hardly anyone was up and around at this time. Before 10, the dining hall was only scattered with people coming and going. By the time Eleanor had found her book, Tom had already finished eating. The only people in the hall were a few first-year Ravenclaws, reading instead of eating, and a group of Gryffindors. Among them, she recognized Aiden.

"Lena! I haven't talked to you in forever. Come sit with us!" Rose yelled.

Eleanor hesitated at first. After all, she and Aiden had returned to being friends, but their contact was limited to one-sentence conversations and smiles across rooms. She hadn't talked to anyone else in the group since Tom had "taken her back." Those were his words, not hers.

Still, she decided to sit, knowing that awkwardly standing there was worse then just walking off. Luckily for her, the only open space was right next to Aiden. Well, she had to face this sometime.

* * *

><p>Aiden leaned over the table and grabbed another muffin for Eleanor. She thanked him, smiling. He smiled back, which, irrationally enough, made her start laughing.<p>

"What's so funny?" He teased.

"Apparently, your face." Eleanor joked.

"You going to take that from her, man?" George joked back.

Aiden poked her, "Stop laughing."

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" She teased.

He was about to answer when Eleanor saw Tom walk, or more appropriately stalk, through the double doors. Inwardly, she panicked, but she also resisted the impulse to jump up right away.

Eleanor guessed that Aiden also saw Tom because he stopped talking. Rose edged Aiden on, joking about the showdown that was about to happen. Little did she know that a real showdown was probably coming. Tom attempted a bitter smile as he arrived, standing behind Eleanor.

"Almost done eating darling?" He spoke, voice restrained.

Everyone at the table looked up at him curiously. Most of them were visibly shocked, raising their eyebrows or frowning. Rose, sitting opposite of Eleanor, shrunk away. Much to his credit, Aiden didn't flinch.

All Eleanor could focus on was the fact that Tom's hand was resting on her right shoulder, its vice-like grip betraying his controlled expression. She managed to squeak out, "Sure."

She put down the remainder of her muffin, standing up. Eleanor attempted a smile, but could tell that her nervousness made it seem fake. "Nice to talk to you guys, I'll see you later."

Everyone at the table smiled and said bye, more convincingly then Eleanor had.

The second Tom and Eleanor were out of the dining hall, Tom pulled her aside into a little side nook off a secondary hallway. His anger was revealed as he said, "I waited for you for an hour. What do you have to say about that?"

His behavior was honestly scaring Eleanor right now. She almost whispered, "I'm sorry. I didn't notice how much time had passed."

"You're _sorry_? Sorry for what?"

Eleanor flinched at his reaction, "Tom, please just let it go. I promise that it won't happen again."

"What won't happen again?" He barked out, staring her down.

"I won't lose track of time again."

"Wrong. Try again."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Think about it."

"I'm _sorry_. Why can't that just be the end of it?"

"What are you sorry for?"

"What do you want me to be sorry for?"

"Talking to that bastard!"

Eleanor sighs, "Not this again Tom."

He glares at her, "So you're not sorry?"

Eleanor looks at him defiantly, "No, I'm not!"

He slammed his hand against the wall, right next to where her head was leaning against it. "Repeat that. I dare you."

Eleanor didn't say anything.

He looked her in the eyes, smirking, "Scared?"

She nodded slightly.

"Good," his other hand, the one not resting against the wall, traveled upwards, cupping her face. "Listen carefully. I never want to hear you even think about him again. Understood?"

Eleanor shook her head. She managed to whisper even though his hold barely allowed her lips to move, "No."

"One more chance. Do you understand that you will never talk to that boy again?"

"No,"she said louder, looking straight into his eyes.

He squeezed her chin. She could already imagine what the bruises would look like in a few days. "Fine."

He didn't decide to ignore her like last time. He didn't scream at her. But she knew that the third option was the worst. She felt pain convulsing through her body. Every bone, ligament, cell, shook as it tried to resist the electric current that was flowing through it. Everything except the place where Tom was still holding her face.

This was more than pain. This was absolute torture. Her entire body lost control. Her brain was flooded with a million thoughts – all in Tom's low and intimidating voice. Within thirty seconds, she felt like she was going crazy. She tried to retain some control. She tried not to show Tom that this hurt. In reality, she would take back anything she had ever said to make this unbearable feeling disappear. Her pride kept her from admitting that. Instead, she just closed her eyes and tried to do the impossible.

"Open your eyes," Tom's voice slithered in her head.

She thought about disobeying, but she didn't see the point anymore. Her eyes slipped open again, only to see Tom's face right there. She was suddenly aware that his forehead was resting against her's and the pain had stopped. He stared into her eyes, but this look was different. No cruelty or suspicion made it obvious these were Tom's swamp-like dark blue eyes.

"I shouldn't have done that." Was he saying sorry to her? This was new.

"It's fine," she whispered. She had stopped looking into his eyes. They were too emotional.

He shook his head, his forehead still against her's. A smirk played on his lips as he said, "You want me to say it now, don't you?"

She looked up at him, curious, "What?"

He seemed to move impossibly closer, closing his eyes, his lips almost brushing against her's as he whispered, "_I'm sorry_."

"Tom…" she said, attempting to move away from him but trapped.

He moved forward, ignoring her attempts to wiggle away. His lips pressed against her's for a few seconds. When he finished he let her loose, leaning against the opposite wall and running a hand through his hair. "Please listen to me now. Please don't talk to him. It makes me mad, and then I end up taking it out on you. I don't want to hurt you Elle."

His eyes dug into her. She nodded absentmindedly. He had just kissed her. Not for the purpose of getting revenge on anyone or asserting his claim over her, or even just for comfort or reassurance, but seemingly because he had wanted to.

She heard footsteps coming from the joining corridor.

"But does she like me? Does she even care about me? Of course not. Bloody Riddle has gotten her so brainwashed that all she cares about is him," echoes around the hall. She recognizes Aiden's voice.

"That's so not true and you know it. The way she was smiling at you today proves it. She likes you, make the best of it. Sweep her right from under Riddle's feet and into your arms. She'll thank you for it, trust me."

"And how is he supposed to do that, huh Rose? Riddle will kill him the second he tries, he's bloody scary!" George fires out.

"He's bloody scary but he's also bloody selfish. Do you really think he would care about one girl when he's got a million of them on hand?" Rose argued back.

"He was about to murder all of us just for talking to her today!" George told her.

"It doesn't matter, she doesn't like me anyway," Aiden says dejectedly.

Rose suddenly gasped, "There's the school-wide ball next month! It's a masquerade, it will be perfect. Riddle won't even know you're taking her."

"Riddle won't know!" George laughed. "Yeah, right."

They walked out of hearing range. The entire time, Eleanor had been looking in their direction. She realized that Tom had just been looking at her.

She really wanted to go with Aiden. She missed him, even if that may sound odd.

Before she could say anything, Tom shook his head. "You promised."

"I did not promise anything," she retorts.

"You nodded when I told you to promise me you wouldn't talk to him."

"Please Tom, I haven't had a date in forever…"

"Good," he snapped, cutting her off mid-sentence. Back to intimidating Tom.

Eleanor whined, "Please Tom? I'm so bored. Just one date! You know I haven't had one in forever. Just for fun!"

"Absolutely not," his tone was even harsher.

"You can't say no to me. It's my life, not yours."

"You will go to the ball with me. We will not discuss this anymore."

"Why?" She knew she was just whining at this point.

"Because," Tom grunted, about to turn and ignore her. Eleanor knew Tom was right – he didn't need a reason, he was in control. It seemed that this had been the way things worked for as much of her life as she could remember. If Tom said something, there was usually no use arguing with him about it, especially since she risked pushing him to anger.

But Rose was also right. Behind the masks, he wouldn't be able to recognize her.

* * *

><p>"Hey Rose." Eleanor walked over and sat down at the same table as her. She knew Rose would be in the library from the countless time she had spent here with her.<p>

"Hey Lena. What's up?" Rose replied with a smile.

Eleanor looked down shyly, "I kind of need a favor."

"What favor? If there's any way I could help you I'd love to."

"I want to go to the ball next month with Aiden but he hasn't asked me."

Rose smiled, "Oh, you know him. He will eventually, just let him take his time to figure out what to say. I'll bother him about it if you want."  
>"That would be great. But Tom already has me going with him..."<p>

"Yeah, I wanted to ask you what was up with that."

"He's Tom Riddle. I've been his best friend since before Hogwarts and, well…he expects me to do everything he wants. He doesn't react very well to the word no either."

"So you need someone to cover for you for the ball?" Rose asks, filling in the blank Eleanor had left.

"Yes. I know it's a big favor to ask. You don't need to feel like you have to do it."

"It's okay. I'll do it."

"Are you sure? You really don't have to."

"It's okay," Rose smiled and winked. "As long as you have fun with Aiden. So what is it like being around the infamous Tom Riddle? I suppose I'll need to know."  
>"It's…like being in hell sometimes to tell you the truth."<p>

"So why do you do it? Aiden and everyone would be happy to let you into our group if that's what you need."

"Tom has been really close to me for years. I can't just leave him now, you know?"

Rose nodded and attempted a joke, "That's how I feel about George sometimes. You won't mind if I ask you a personal question will you?"

"No," Eleanor smiled brightly at her.

"You like Aiden right?" Rose asks.

Eleanor's smile only grows, "I would think it was pretty obvious. He's fun. It's a nice change."

Rose raises an eyebrow, "Oh, Riddle isn't?"

Eleanor rolls her eyes, "Rarely."

Rose shook her head, "He likes you, doesn't he?"

Eleanor looks confused, "Who?"

"Riddle," Rose replies somewhat tersely.

Eleanor answered with what she believed was the truth, "No."

"You know that's a lie," Rose teased.

"Seriously," Eleanor replies, "Tom liking someone? That's a ridiculous idea."

Rose shrugs, "Then what's up with the way he acts?"

Eleanor's usual explanation springs out, "He likes to have everything to himself. Including his friends."

Rose raises her eyebrow again, "You guys are not just friends. I cannot believe that."

"Well, it's true," Eleanor says with a smirk.

"Girl, you must be oblivious," George's voice comes from behind as he walks in from between two of the bookshelves. "Riddle's in fucking love with you. That is, if Riddle can love anything."

* * *

><p>Eleanor had spent the last three hours in the library, mostly talking with Rose and George. It had been one of the most fun parts of her life for a while, and it was nice to have it back for a part of a day.<p>

"Where were you?" Tom rumbled as she entered the common room.

"In the library," Eleanor replied, trying to be nonchalant. Despite being so late into the fall, it was a nice day, so everyone else was outside. She threw her book bag down on the floor and sat on the other side of the couch and sat on the other.

"With who?" Tom asked, still tense.

"Is this an interrogation?" Eleanor quipped.

"With who?" He growled.

"Rose and George. Are they on the list of people I'm not allowed to see too?" Eleanor replies sarcastically.

Tom stares at her, "Do not talk to me like that. As a matter of fact they are. Tell me where you're going next time."

Eleanor suddenly stood, annoyed by his tone, "Fine. I'm going outside."

Tom grabs her arm to keep her from leaving, "Why?"

She let the annoyance seep into her voice, "Do I have to have a reason?"

"I told you, do not talk to me like that," Tom says, squeezing her arm painfully. "You just got here. Why are you leaving?"

Eleanor flinched, but couldn't hold back her annoyance, "What, I'm not allowed to go outside either?"

"Sit down," Tom said, pulling her back down onto the couch harshly, "This is your last reminder, do not use that tone with me."

Eleanor rolled her eyes, "Can you at least tell me _why_ I am not allowed to go outside? What are afraid is going to happen if I go?"

Tom glares at her, "I've been waiting here for hours for you to get back and you are not leaving now."

He moved closer to Eleanor, picking up a book he had left on the table and flipping it open a few pages.

"Those are your parents," Tom said, pointing at a picture in one of the old Hogwarts yearbooks.

Eleanor looked at it with disbelief. She took the book from him, not realizing that her head was resting against his shoulder well she stared at it. "That's amazing."

"Here," Tom did a quick spell, copying the picture onto an empty piece of parchment and handing it to her.

Eleanor smiled bashfully, thanking him as she shut the book and put the paper in her pocket. She felt almost bad for asking him, "Can I go outside now?"

Tom looks at her, a little bit of pain showing in his eyes. Why did she always want to run away from him? For Merlin's sake, he had apologized for hurting her earlier that day, he hadn't blown up at her for speaking to those damn Gryffindors and he had gone to a lot of trouble to find that picture. Yet she still wanted to go spend time with other people - people who clearly did not care about her as much as he did.

Tom tries to stop himself from being angry, "Play chess with me instead."

Eleanor sighed, "You know I don't even like that game."

"I want to play though," Tom tried, hoping to convince her.

"I'll compromise with you. I'll play, but only if we play outside."

Tom's mouth twitched, as if he were almost about to smile, "Fine."

Before he got up, Eleanor asked him, "Tom, would you smile for me?"

Tom shook his head, "You are such a child, Elle."

Eleanor bit her lip to stop herself from saying anything back. At least _she_ knew how to have some fun.

**"It's so hard to forget pain, but it's even harder to remember sweetness. We have no scar to show for happiness. We learn so little from peace." - Chuck Palahniuk**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Another update already! I told you all I would be trying harder, and I am pretty proud of myself for finishing this so quickly. Next chapter will have more action and be longer, I promise! Though you may have to wait until Friday for it, so please be patient.

If you have been reading the story for a while and have questions about it or comments on the direction it's going, feel free to message me about it - I would really like to talk to more of my readers personally. Also, I could use a story cover and a beta reader - if you'd like to volunteer to help with one of these, message me!

_Please review if you have any questions/comments. And no excuses, because you can submit anonymous reviews! I will also be responding to reviews personally for the next few chapters soon, if that gives you any incentive. Thank you for reading :)_


	18. Masked Melpomene

**"The belief in a supernatural source of evil is not necessary. Men alone are quite capable of every wickedness." – Joseph Conrad**

"So the wolfsbane goes in before anything else?" Aiden asked, "I guess that's why I blew up my last potion."

Eleanor laughed. Here they were again, hiding in a back corner of the library while she helped him with potions. It was like the last few months had never happened. "Honestly Aiden. Maybe if you started paying attention in class you would stop blowing things up."

"But I can't pay attention in class," Aiden whined, grinning.

She cocks an eyebrow, "Oh, and would you like to explain why not?"

"It's because I'm much too busy paying attention to you to care about potions."

She laughs loudly, leaning back against the old chair, "You are such a flatterer."

And there's his signature half-smile, "Only when it's true darling."

Eleanor thinks this would be the perfect moment for a kiss. But of course one won't happen. Whenever they had gotten close, Aiden had backed off. The only reason she could think of for this was that he hadn't forgotten about the time he had seen Tom kiss her.

These meetings between Aiden and Eleanor had already been happening for a little more then a month. She supposed Aiden had guessed by now that they were a secret she kept from Tom, even though she had never mentioned Tom around him again. Around Tom, she didn't mention anything about Aiden or the Gryffindors, who she still talked to whenever she had the chance. She was able to keep the meetings secret by only seeing Aiden when Tom helped Slughorn during his first-year potions class. Tom still seemed a little suspicious, keeping a constant eye on her whenever he could but, as long as she made sure none of his goons were around, things were going just fine.

Besides, Tom was the reason she had to see Aiden anyway. Eleanor couldn't live with Tom's control without an outlet – and her outlet was the entertaining one-hour study session with Aiden she looked forward to every other day. Being around someone so utterly happy all the time reminded her that there was some hope.

Eleanor looked down at her watch quickly, knowing she would need to leave soon. She started packing up her stuff while Aiden continued reading his potions book.

To her surprise, Aiden suddenly said, "That's a big bruise on your arm."

Eleanor looks away, not wanting to talk about this, "I was late to dinner."

"So he decided he would drag you there? That's nice. What a great friend. He must have been so concerned about you getting proper nutrition," Aiden commented sarcastically.

Eleanor smiles sarcastically, "No, he shoved me against the clock tower so I could get a better understand of the concept of time. Any more clever comments you want to make? Maybe about the bruises on my back?"

"Why are you angry at me for just noticing them? Shouldn't you be angry at him for _doing_ it?"

Eleanor sighs, "It's how Tom is. It's how he's always been."

Aiden starts looking annoyed, "So your excuse for not standing up to him is that you expect him to hurt you? When are you going to hit back?"

She actually glares at him, "Do you _know_ what would happen if I hit back?"

"Maybe he would stop thinking it was okay to treat you this way."

She shakes her head, "I don't think that will make Tom change. He's always been... temperamental."

He rolls his eyes, "So leave. You don't have to be stuck with him. Don't you ever get tired of sneaking around libraries and lying to him?"

"I can't leave, he's..."

"Your best friend? Seems more like your worst enemy."

"We're all we have – just each other. You can't understand what it was like growing up together in that terrible place."

"He is not all you have. You have me – you have Rose and George and a whole group of other people I'm sure would be happy to welcome you."

She actually laughs, "Happy to welcome me? Your Gryffindor friends? They're _scared_ of me, I can tell. So is everyone else at this school. Who exactly do you think wants to be my friend?"

"They're scared of you because you're always around Riddle. You just don't want to give anyone else a chance."

Eleanor packs up the last of her stuff before responding, "I can't leave him alone."

"Well, it doesn't seem like he deserves to have you anyway," Aiden says with contempt.

"That's because you don't know him. I don't mean to be rude, but you don't know what our friendship is like. You can't just simplify it down like that."

"I don't have to know him. I just have to know the way he treats you."

"And you don't," she says, clearly annoyed, "You know one part of a very complicated relationship."

"You're so jaded. You stick around because you really think he's going to magically go back to some idealized image you have of how he used to be – you think that if you just give Tom fucking Riddle everything he wants, things will suddenly be perfect. But every time you realize that isn't true for a second, you get the littlest ounce of bravery and defy one of his stupid, petty rules like not speaking to me – and that bravery is gone an hour later, when you manage to block out the memory of him assaulting you."

"Do you think I'm delusional? I could tell you the exact location of every bruise, broken bone, and scar he's ever inflicted on me. I could also tell you exactly what he's done to my ex-boyfriends. You think I won't stand up to him because I'm scared? You're right – but I'm not scared of what he's going to do to me. I don't care anymore. I'm scared of what he's going to do to _you_."

"I'm not scared," Aiden says with that trademark Gryffindor courage.

"Because you don't know," Eleanor says with a sigh, "Can we not argue about this anymore? I don't want to argue with you."

"Fine, come over here. Don't worry, you still have a few minutes," Aiden says, standing. As soon as she walks over, he leans in to hug her, pulling her close into the shelter of his arms. "You know I just want you to be safe."

"I'm fine," she whispers.

"Fine, then I want you to be happy," Aiden whispers back, looking down at her.

"As long as my favorite funny lion is around, I think I will be," Eleanor says with a smile.

"I'll tell George you said that," Aiden jokes.

* * *

><p>Eleanor manages to finish her Herbology project early the next day and Tom even agrees to let her have lunch with Rose – as long as Aiden isn't present, of course. Just this once.<p>

Thrilled, Eleanor takes a seat with Rose near the very end of the mostly empty table.

"When shall we be switching dresses and masks for the ball?" Rose asks her nonchalantly when they get to desert.

"After the ball starts, in the classroom near the girls bathroom on the first floor." Eleanor replies, carefully rethinking the plan for any holes.

"I already have the spell to change our hair."

"And I have the voice changers. It's just a little device – we'll each record a sample of our voice and then stick it near the shoulder of the others' dress. It's good we're the same height, otherwise that could have gotten messy."

"Wow, we should be able to actually get away with this."

"Thank you so much. You have no clue how grateful I am. You are an angel for actually being willing to endure Tom Riddle for one night," Eleanor says, actually smiling.

"I already have those candies that make you look sick – a quick fainting spell and I should be out of there in no time!" Rose says with a smirk, "Then a puking candy to escape to the girls restrooms and convince Riddle to retire for the night."

Eleanor laughs, "You seem oddly thrilled by the idea of being sick."

"More thrilled with our brilliant plan," Rose declares, smiling.

"Hopefully it will be brilliant enough," Eleanor remarks, still holding back hope. "But I forgot one of the most important parts – I actually haven't even gotten Aiden to ask me yet!"

"Oh, I actually already told him about the whole plan..." Rose says with a giggle, "What, I assumed he had to know who he was supposedly taking to the ball and who he was actually taking!"

"Did he actually _want_ to take me?" Eleanor asks nervously.

"Well, I told him at the end of quidditch practice and he almost fell off his broom... I think that's as excited as Aiden ever gets."

* * *

><p>The plan seems to go perfectly smoothly. As soon as they make the switch, Eleanor goes to meet Aiden on the far side of the dance floor. Rose stays with Tom for almost thirty minutes before the candies kick in, and they're both gone a while after that. Eleanor gets word form George later that night that Rose has successfully made it back to the Gryffindor common room, and Tom had said he was going to bed. She finally breathes a sigh of relief and begins to enjoy her night. A few hours later, when she's finally tired of dancing, Eleanor heads up to Gryffindor common room.<p>

And that's where she slips up. She forgets she should probably change dresses and masks with Rose again, as Tom knows what her dress is supposed to look like. But of course, that shouldn't matter, because Tom should be in his room. She'll have time to change before seeing him.

Eleanor is floating down the main staircases, smiling widely. The night with Aiden had been perfect. It was well past midnight, and time for her to get some sleep.

As she rounded the staircase to the second floor, Eleanor saw Tom patrolling the halls. What was unexpected about this? He had said he was going to bed, for one. There were also supposed to be no prefect patrols tonight because of the ball. Students were only required to go back to their own houses after they exited the ball, which could end as late as two. Of course, Tom would go to trouble of volunteering for the job just to catch her.

Eleanor took in a deep breath and hoped to Merlin that he wouldn't notice.

"Breaking the rules Elle?" Tom asks, stalking toward her. "You should have known I would catch you."

She really hoped he was only referring to her being out so late, and not the ball.

Of course, she had horrible luck.

"I was just getting a book from Rose."

"Did you pick up her dress while you were up there too? That's funny," Tom retorts sarcastically. "Or did you really not think I wouldn't notice that the girl I was dancing with wasn't you? Appearances only count for so much."

Eleanor was feeling defiant tonight, as if Gryffindor courage was contagious. Why should she have to stand here and justify doing what she had wanted? She smirked as she says, "I was having a fun night with my friends."

Tom glares at her, "No, you were having a fun night with Belvedere. When will you learn to listen to me when I order you to do something? Do I have to go find both of the stupid lions and teach them how dangerous courage can be?"

Eleanor rolls her eyes. Of course he tries to threaten her friends, "When will you realize you can't control a human being? Go try to find Aiden – I'm sure he would enjoy finally getting the chance to dual you."

"Do you really think he's a match for me? You think he can protect you?" Tom actually laughs, the eerie noise echoing around the halls as he starts casting curses at her, "Let's see if he can protect you from that. Or this. Or what I'm about to do to you after this."

She feels like fifty curses have come at her once. Eleanor dodges the ones she can, the rest creating small gashes and burns as they hit her skin. Tom walks toward her and grabs her arm, almost throwing her into the abandoned classroom behind her. She actually stumbles and falls to the floor, barely stopping herself from hitting her head.

Tom's leaning over her in a few seconds, his wand firmly poised at her neck. Eleanor tries to fight back, tries to knock his wand loose, but he can hold her arms down with just one hand. He uses a spell to bind her arms with rope, extending the rope out to the nearest desk's legs so she can't move them up from the floor.

He's glowering down at her, smirking and twirling his wand. "Let's see...clearly you didn't get the message to stop speaking to Belvedere earlier, so I fear I may need to take more drastic measures. Unless you think you can start listening to me soon?"

She glares back up at him, that stupid courage still making her immune to fear. After all, Tom would never do anything that bad to her, would he? It's Tom, after all. She's used to the occasional bruises. She tries to remain brave, convincing herself she can take this form of torture.

Tom actually slaps her. Her eyes start to water from the force. "Are you going to answer me?"

Eleanor just pursed her lips, still refusing to give him the answer he wanted.

Tom continues to look down at her, a playful smirk on his face, "Don't make me do this Elle. Just apologize. Ask me to forgive you."

"I'm not making you do anything," she remarks. "You're choosing to hurt me for some petty form of revenge that won't even work. I don't care what you do, I'm still going to talk to Aiden."

Tom smirks, "Maybe I'll just obliviate your memories of the cowardly lion. You wouldn't want to talk to someone you can never remember meeting, now would you?"

Eleanor's glare sharpens, "I won't let you. I'll resist the spell."

"Then I'll just have to make you too weak to resist," Tom says, dragging his wand down from her neck. She feels the skin burning as if he's setting it on fire. "Unless, of course, you prefer to actually listen to me, in which case I could stop."

"You don't own me Tom. I'm never going to just mindlessly listen to you."

"Well then, I'll just have to teach you."

The curses lasted for an hour, during which she felt like her blood was boiling inside her body and her skin was being pricked by needles. She almost thought Tom would never stop. Finally, he seemed to grow tired of the torture. The ropes around her arms loosened, but she refused to stand up when ordered.

"Fine, if you want to resist, you can just sit here and think about your actions," Tom remarks bitterly. "Particularly about the continuing effects they may have if you disobey me again – and all of the other things I could have done to you."

* * *

><p>Luckily, Aiden was the one who answered Eleanor's knock on the Gryffindor common room entrance. It would have been embarrassing if anyone else had seen her crying after 15 minutes sitting in an abandoned classroom, trying to recover some sense of logical thinking that didn't involve running through all the ways Tom had assaulted her before. It was still embarrassing to be such a mess, but at least Aiden had known this was inevitable.<p>

He didn't say anything as he took her hand and started leading her down the hallway. She noticed a door that she had never seen before. He stopped before it, leading her in.

It looked like an expensive hotel room. Everything inside was lush and luxurious. Aiden sat down on the big, soft bed. When Eleanor sat next to him, he leaned over and enveloped her in his arms. She leaned back against him, enjoying feeling a human heart beat again – especially one coming from someone who didn't look like he might kill her.

"Are you okay?" He asked though he already knew the answer. She shook my head. "First of all, please stop crying. I know you can't help it, but it makes me want to cry too."

"But it's not because of you," Eleanor says, trying to wipe away her tears.

"I know. It's because of Riddle. Everything always is. Tell me what happened. If you can that is. I mean, if you want to."

She curls up even closer to him, "I don't want to talk about him. I just want to pretend he doesn't exist anymore."

"We can do that," Aiden reassured her. He ran his hand along the side of her face, his expression crumpling further into a frown when he saw her flinch as his hand ran over her cheek.

"I'm so tired," Eleanor whispers, finally managing to stop crying.

"Sleep. It'll be okay. I'll stay here with you," Aiden whispers back, attempting a smile.

"I'm not sleepy. I'm tired of being scared," she admitted, cuddling into him. She loved the way his shirt smelled, and the way his arms flexed around her, and how his chest was just hard enough to use as a pillow but just comfortable enough to make her want to lay there forever.

"What is there to be so scared of?" Aiden asked softly.

"Him," Eleanor whispers. She hadn't even truly admitted this fact to herself until now.

"You're safe with me. He's not here now. For your own good, you need to sleep."

"Too bad I can't be here forever."

He holds her tighter, "Don't focus on that – you don't have to worry about that tonight. Let's just go to bed. I'll protect you."

Eleanor has a hard time falling asleep, remembering Tom's threats and the fact that Aiden can only protect her when he's there. The nightmares keep waking her up constantly, until she finally decides she needs to face reality again. As she's learned already today, Aiden can't always be there.

**"I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naïve or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman." – Anais Nin**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Needed: A story cover, and PMs from readers who want to engage with the plot.**

Yes, it's been forever. I know I'm slow. Go ahead, send me angry messages – then go write a review (or a few), because that's what inspired me to come back to fanfiction.

I want to hear from all of you, so send me a PM, review, anything! I really would love to get ideas and have a conversation with readers. Hope I didn't lose all of you just because of the long wait.


	19. The Snake and the Flame

**"We villains are a very select group indeed. In the very desperation of our hate rests our strength." – Cyclops**

Tom was shaking, literally, from how mad he was.

First of all, the ball. It wasn't just that she'd tried to trick him. She must have not wanted to go with him pretty badly to concoct a scheme like that.

Second, she hadn't come back all night. He had an actual apology ready for her. He hadn't meant to hit her. He had just been so angry, and she wouldn't stop edging him on. But now she wasn't here, and that made him even madder.

Where the bloody hell was she? With who? Doing what? A million answers to those questions pieced themselves together in his head.

It's five in the morning when he hears the portrait hole creaking open. It's her, of course. She doesn't notice him at first, but Tom coughs to get Eleanor's attention. She freezes, standing right in front of the fire. She only looks at him for a second before turning her eyes away.

"Where were you?" Tom put an intimidating tone to the question on purpose. She doesn't answer at first. He stares at the fire behind her, causing it to flash up. Eleanor looks back at it, wide-eyed, knowing it's a warning.

"Gryffindor."

Of course, Tom thinks. "Why?"

"I didn't want to come back here," Eleanor answers, shrugging.

"Why?" His tone was even harsher this time, because he knew the answer just based on the way she was looking at him.

She shook her head, "Goodnight."

Tom stood up, blocking her way to the staircase for the girls dormitories. "Who were you with?"

Eleanor wonders why she should bother with lying. He already knows the answers to all of the questions he's asking. "Aiden."

Tom grabs her arm as she tries to dodge past him, hissing, "Never do this again, or I promise there will be real consequences next time. Come on."

"Oh, being cursed halfway to death doesn't count as a real consequence?" Eleanor retorts.

Does she really have to insist on making him angry? "If you think that's the worst I could have done..."

"And there you go again," Eleanor comments bitterly. "Come on, finish the threat. I am oddly curious about what torture you'll dream up next."

Tom's so furious he actually feels his arms tensing. He has to try not to pull out his wand. "Why do you insist on acting like this? What do you really see in that stupid lion?" Tom says, restraining his voice so he doesn't scream.

"Hmm...let me think. Well, for one, I don't believe he's ever held me down on the dusty floor of a classroom and preceded to curse me for an hour," Eleanor says, still trying to maintain a confident smirk.

Tom can't hold back anymore. His calculated anger comes out as he grabs the fire poker and stabs it into the flames, feeling it start to heat up. "Say one more thing like that. I dare you."

Eleanor stays silent.

"Go on," Tom says, twirling the poker in one hand. "You seemed to be enjoying it so much before. Tell me more about your darling lion."

She swears she's actually holding her breath. Check. Tom has won. He's found a way to scare her again.

"Finally tired of talking about him?" Tom says, throwing the poker from hand to hand. "Perfect, how about you get tired of talking to him too?'

Eleanor takes a deep breath, "Stop it, Tom."

"I think I misheard that. Did you say, 'Yes Tom, I'll stop talking to the stupid lion right away. I don't know what I was thinking,'" Tom suggests, smirking.

"Stop it," Eleanor hisses, carefully watching his hands. "I'm not going to stop talking to him."

"I was going to give you one more chance, but I think you've exhausted my patience for the day," Tom says, doing a quick spell to immobilize her. Eleanor tries to move away as the poker moves toward her left forearm, but can't control her own body. Even as the poker touches her skin she can't scream.

She's only saved from the flame nearly a minute later, when Regulus Black walks down the boys staircase.

"What are you two up to so early in the morning?" Regulus asks, his tone playful and polite, though Eleanor can see him staring at her arm.

"Nothing," Eleanor squeaks as the spell and poker drop at the same instant. "Just couldn't sleep. Quidditch practice?"

"Naturally. If only Malfoy had something to focus on other than this bloody game, maybe I could have a decent night's sleep myself," Regulus says, walking toward the door. She doesn't know if he's being cheeky or if he genuinely doesn't know what happened between them.

Tom just stares at her for a second, his attention momentarily focused on Black's comments. Eleanor finally regains the courage to talk, "Do you remember what I told you during fourth year, during the holidays?"

He still seems annoyed, "No, and what the bloody hell does it have to do with anything?"

"I told you I wouldn't stop being your friend, no matter who else I became friends with. We've always been best friends – you don't need to force me to keep it that way. And that isn't going to change because I have three new friends that happen to be Gryffindors," Eleanor almost whispers, afraid she'll provoke him again.

Tom doesn't respond, just glaring down at the floor. She knows that, in moments like this, he's thinking a million different things.

"I want to be your best friend. I want to be there for you. But I don't want to put up with this – I don't want to be constantly hurt by the person I love the most. I want us to have a normal friendship. Is that too much to ask?"

"It is when you don't even want to attend a bloody ball with me," Tom says, knuckles white from his grip on the now-cold poker.

"I have probably spent the majority of minutes in my life with you, and you're this mad over a bloody ball that you didn't even want to go to?" Esme says tersely.

"No, I'm this mad because you lied to me," Tom nearly screams.

"You made me. You wouldn't let me do what I want."

"What you want? I wanted to go to the ball with you, did you consider that? Or is all that matters what you want?" Tom is actually screaming at her this, and she decides its getting much too early for them to do this standing in the common room.

Eleanor tries to remain calm, "Tom, I always give you what you want. Can't I just have one night where I don't need to follow a list of rules?"

"No, you don't." If only she knew what he really wanted. Can't he just have one night where it seems like she actually loves him?

"Let's go to your room. You need to sleep. We can talk about this in a few hours," Eleanor says, stepping toward him and reaching out to hold his hands.

Tom takes her hand and pulls her along. She ignores the stinging sensation still overtaking her arm, only taking a quick glance down at the burn mark, which is forming in the shape of a snake, just like the poker, on her lower left arm.

* * *

><p>Tom wakes up with her still asleep next to him and immediately feels a little better. She hadn't run away. His head hurt as he remembered what he'd done to her, then hurt even more when he actually looked down and saw the red mark on her arm. He really should learn to control those anger spells, or he was afraid he may kill her one day. How stupid that had been, to drive her even further into the arms of the stupid lion. Clearly, threatening and hurting her were not working – and he knew he needed to stop. Merlin, he wanted to stop so badly. It wasn't like he liked seeing the damage he had done. But the anger...<p>

Eleanor rolled over and muttered "good morning" to him, eyes only half open. Tom leans down and kisses her forehead.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

"Do we have class?" Eleanor mumbles, still barely awake.

"It's Sunday."

"Hogsmede?"

Tom nodded, then slowly climbed out of bed. He changed out of the suit he'd fallen asleep wearing last night – or rather, this morning. "Are you going to stay for breakfast? I just have a house elf deliver it on the weekends."

Eleanor shakes her head as she sits up, "I really should go Tom. You know how this will look. Best to avoid people seeing, right?"

"I don't care how this will look. Stay. Go back to sleep if you want."

"No, I'm awake already. Hogsmede?"

"What's the point of going?"

"To Hogsmede?"

"No, now."

"What's the point of not?"

He moved closer to her, leaning forward so he almost met her lips, "Just stay. I want you to stay with me."

She seemed to hold her breath, "Tom..."

He kissed her cheek, "You know I won't plead."

"I really do have to go," Eleanor squeaks.

"Why?" He was still so tantalizingly close to her.

"I mean, I should go."

"No, you said have to. Why?"

"I wanted to talk to someone after breakfast."

"No."

"Odd answer since I wasn't asking a question."

"No, you are not going to go talk to Belvedere."

"Funny Tom, that almost sounded like an order," Eleanor says, glaring at him.

"It is," Tom responds very seriously.

She rolls her eyes at him, "See, this is the other reason why I didn't want to stay."

"What's the other reason?."

"After less than 10 minutes of talking to you, you're already mad."

"That's an exaggeration."

"Really? How so?"

"Because you make it sound like I'm mad at you. I'm not. I'm mad at him if I'm mad at anybody."

Eleanor purses her lips at him, "You're still mad."

"No, I am not," Tom replies tersely.

"It's like there's never a moment when you're not mad."

"Yes, there is. I'm happy right now."

Eleanor actually seemed stunned, "You're... happy?"

She looked up at Tom curiously, as if testing the waters.

He smiles at her, "Yes."

She actually seems taken aback now, "Why?"

"You're here."

"But I thought..." Eleanor pauses, struggling to find words to convey how he must have felt to do all of that to her. "I made you mad last night."

"No, I was mad at him for trying to steal you away. I'm sorry for taking my anger out on you."

"But you were mad. You hit me. You cursed me," Eleanor decides not to hold back the end of her sentence. "You nearly burned my bloody arm off."

"That's what I'm sorry for," Tom says, looking at her with something akin to genuine sadness.

And, because of that look, she feels the need to hug him and tell him she will forgive him and that none of the bruises and scars actually matter – except for the fact that they all hurt every time she moves.

"But you still hit me Tom," Eleanor whispers.

Tom keeps staring at her, his look turning to one of agony and despair, "I apologized."

She wants to forgive him even more, because she can't stand looking at Tom sad, but she can't just forget, "Is that going to undo it? You nearly killed me."

"I didn't mean to, I was angry. You know how I get when I'm angry. I apologized. Why can't you forgive me?"

"Because it happened! Just because that's what your always like, it doesn't make it okay. You can't promise me it won't happen again, can you? You're always going to be this way, and I can't deal with being your human punching bag."

Tom closed his eyes for a second, trying to concentrate on remaining calm despite her yelling. He could feel his heartbeat all the way in his ears. He didn't want her to be mad at him. He didn't want to hurt her. He just couldn't help it. Maybe if he just learned to restrain himself...

"I can promise you it won't happen again," Tom whispers.

She actually laughs, "Liar."

Tom pulse skyrockets, "At least I am try! You didn't try to keep your promise to me never talk to him again, did you?"

"That's different."

"How?"

"Because I didn't hurt you."

Tom stayed silent, staring at the floor as if he'd somehow find an answer there. Eleanor stood to leave. He finally spoke, "Elle, come on. How could you pick him over me? Him. How long have you known him? And how long have you known me?"

Eleanor turns back to him, a look of pure defiance on her face, "How often have you tried to make me happy instead of just getting what you want?"

"Always. Apparently, I'm just not enough to make you happy."

For Merlin's sake, Tom must be making that face on purpose. There is no way he does not realize how pathetic and weak he actually looks – Tom would never look weak if it didn't serve his needs. He actually looks like he might cry. She can't remember if she's ever seen him cry. Seriously, how can one person even look so perfect and sad at the same time?

It makes her stop right in front of the door to turn around. Merlin, that face is gorgeous. She just wants to go hold him and mutter all the words he wants to hear to make him smile again. What a rare smile that had been this morning, and she hadn't even realized it.

"I want you to be happy around me Elle," Tom says, closing in on her again. "I don't want you to need all these other people to cheer you up because I make you miserable."

"Then you can't keep me tied up with rules and punishments and keep arguing with me all the time. You need to understand that I can't spend all my time with you."

Tom's standing right in front of her. He reaches out to sweep her bangs away from her face, "Why can't you?"

"I want..." she starts. He cuts her off, already knowing what she's going to say about wanting friends and a normal life.

"And I want you. We were never normal – we never had a normal life, we can't suddenly pretend we did. And I can't pretend you aren't the only person I actually care about, and that I'm not scared to death that you'll stop caring about me."

"Why can't you let me go? You know I'll be back."

"No, I don't. There were plenty of times when you forgot about me."

"I never forgot about you. I just realized I would never make you happy – we don't want the same things."

"Do you want me to be happy?"

"More than anything."

"Do you want to be happy?"

"Of course."

"Then stay with me. Please. We made each other happy for seven straight years of our lives, until other people got involved."

"You were never really happy Tom. You always wanted more from me," Eleanor says with a sigh.

"We can both make the other happy – that's all we really want. Just give me what I ask for and I'll give you what you ask for."

"And if I ask to talk to Aiden?" Eleanor retorts, expecting the usual no.

Tom just shrugs, "Fine. Once a week."

Eleanor's eyes widen. Did he really just say that? Tom Riddle just conceded to something she wanted, just like that? It could not possibly be that simple.

"What do you want in return?"

"We're not bartering. I just want you to be happy. I don't want to argue with you and hurt you anymore. I just want us to be together, like before."

Maybe things really were going to be different.

But she forgot Tom's words were always like snakes. Sneaky, with slippery meanings that shifted with every change of his mood.

* * *

><p>Regulus Black slipped into quidditch practice, trying to escape the eyes of his grumpy captain. That had never really worked before, so he didn't have much hope, but he entered through the back gate and started running the pitch with everyone else anyway.<p>

"Black," Malfoy called out as he passed. Regulus rolled his eyes and walked to the center of the pitch, where Malfoy was watching his players like they were army cadets. "Right, just take your bloody time getting here."

"Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Or perhaps just in the wrong bed?" Regulus said, smirking.

Malfoy refused to acknowledge the comment, simply saying, "You are late."

"Sorry, I was just busy saving your ex-girlfriend from having her arm burned off with a fire poker. Next time I'll just walk past them without saying anything. I'm sure that would be better for my future prospects anyway, on both your and Riddle's side."

Regulus didn't have to specify which ex-girlfriend it was. Abraxas had never really dated anyone after Eleanor – though he'd shagged loads of girls, they never really seemed to qualify for the coveted title.

Abraxas froze, just like Regulus thought he would, only managing to get out, "A fire poker?"

"Yeah, straight to her arm. Still think she deserves him?"

The other boy glares at him, "I already warned you. Don't ever say that again."

Regulus rolls his eyes, "Can I go back to drills now captain?"

"Fine," Malfoy says, waiting until he turns around. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"You know."

The two boys nod at each other with understanding.

Abraxas knows the only reason Regulus started caring about her safety was because he knew how badly Abraxas hated not being there for her. Abraxas knew he couldn't come within three feet of her. So Regulus stepped in as her protector, taking Eleanor's side even after the rest of the inner circle had long realized they were better off not mentioning her to Tom. Knowing Regulus was there to stop some of Tom's violence toward Eleanor made Abraxas feel at least a tiny bit better about abandoning her – about never being brave enough, whether it was in fourth year or now, to stand up to Riddle himself.

**"I think you still love me, but we can't escape the fact that I'm not enough for you. I knew this was going to happen. So I'm not blaming you for falling in love with another ... I'm not angry, either. I should be, but I'm not. I just feel pain. A lot of pain. I thought I could imagine how much this would hurt, but I was wrong." – Haruki Murakami**

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: I got almost no reviews for the last chapter :( Did you guys not like the style of it? Are you not digging Aiden? Is it because I didn't update for so long? Basically, I am paranoid, so what is wrong?

If you guys are not liking the direction this story is going in, please review and let me know. I really want to hear what you guys want. Look, I even tried bringing Malfoy back in for a cameo cause I know you all loved him. Please help me out here and leave a review – I just want to make this story better for all of you!


	20. High Hopes

"**Love is an untamed force. When we try to control it, it destroys us. When we try to imprison it, it enslaves us. When we try to understand it, it leaves us feeling lost and confused.****"**** –**** Paulo Coelho**

Eleanor really had to give Tom credit. Things had actually been a lot better. All her bruises had faded, and for once there weren't any new ones. It had only been a few weeks, but she started to think Tom really was different now – not so quick to anger, not so protective. She'd actually managed to see Aiden. She hadn't told him she was allowed to see him, in case Tom changed his mind, but not having to sneak around made her happier then ever. There had only been one moment when Tom had gotten mildly frustrated at her for trying to change their dinner plans, but he had responded by calmly telling her she could have dinner with the Gryffindors the next day instead.

It was all like a dream. Actually, not even her dreams were this good.

* * *

><p>Tom had developed his plan pretty far – and so far, he'd actually managed to win her over. She was spending less time with the Gryffindors, even when he didn't tell her not to. She was with him nearly ever second of the day again. And she was happy about it for once.<p>

And again, he was asking more and more from her. Which was what he had meant by being together like before. What was that saying? You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar? Well, he reasoned, if he was just patient enough with her, she would come back to him and things would be like before – then, he would have his chance to take things even further.

Until one day brought that all crashing down.

* * *

><p>Tom and Eleanor were sitting next to each other in Transfiguration when class ended. They both shuffled up, getting reading to leave like the rest of the students, until they were surprised by Dumbledore as he walked by them.<p>

"Ms. Jouteur, can you stay behind for a few minutes?"

Eleanor rolled her eyes at Dumbledore. Tom chuckled and whispered, "I'll be in the common room, okay?"

She nodded as Tom pulled away, "Don't get into any trouble while I'm out of sight."

Tom shot a glare at Dumbledore as he passed, noticing that the old man had been staring at them.

"Quickly please, Ms. Jouteur."

Eleanor walked down the rows to Dumbledore's desk, watching Tom slip out of the door.

"What would you like to talk about professor?"

"I was given the task of informing you that you won't be staying at Hogwarts during the upcoming holiday."

Eleanor looked genuinely confused, "Aren't you going to tell Tom too?"

Dumbledore's expression didn't change, "Mr. Riddle will be staying here."

She tried to resist looking angry, "Then why can't I?"

"The headmaster has made this decision because he believes that it will be best for you."

"Really, Headmaster Dippet said that? That's odd, he seems to be quite fond of Tom. So why won't it be best for Tom as well?" Eleanor suspected this wasn't the headmaster's decision at all – no matter how much Dumbledore tried to hide it, it was obvious that he didn't like Tom.

"I am sorry Ms. Jouteur, but if you want further details you will have to discuss this with Headmaster Dippet."

She was actually even more annoyed. The old man really thought she couldn't see through this charade? Obviously he was the one that had convinced Dippet, not the other way around. "Then why isn't he the one telling me about this?"

Dumbledore continued to pretend he didn't notice how hostile she was being, "Because you will be staying with one of my students. I believe you know Mr. Belvedere."

Eleanor's eyes widened. Normally, she would be trilled to spend more time with Aiden. But then again, she definitely knew how Tom would react to the news. Even the new Tom probably couldn't handle this. "I do."

"He says he'll be very happy to have you," Dumbledore says with a smile that almost seems genuine.

"That's wonderful," Eleanor marched out, heading for the staircase to Headmaster Dippet's office right away.

* * *

><p>She only had to knock twice. What with Tom being a favorite of the headmaster and all, her visits to the office had become quite commonplace. "Come in Ms. Jouteur."<p>

"Good afternoon headmaster," Eleanor said, faking a smile.

"I believe you're here to ask me about your arrangements for the holidays," Dippet said, smiling back at her.

Damn Dumbledore. He had probably already sent Dippet a note about her reaction. "Headmaster, I supposed you would know that it wouldn't be a good idea to separate me from Tom."

"Mr. Riddle does get a bit angry sometimes, doesn't he?" Dippet says, voice lined with innuendo.

Eleanor tries to ignore this. She doesn't want to confirm anything Dumbledore may have told Dippet. "When provoked, as any other person. But that's beside the point."

"Ah, what was the point again?"

"I was just wondering why you took it upon yourself to arrange my holiday plans. I know you have so much else to do on a daily basis, so it's quite a thoughtful gesture – but I'm afraid I did really want to stay at school. I wish we'd had the chance to talk about it first so I wouldn't have been so surprised while speaking to Dumbledore."

Tom had taught her how to be a teacher's pet well.

"What you mean is, why have I decided to separate you and Tom during the holidays?"

"Yes." May as well be blunt at this point, right?

"I thought that you and Mr. Riddle might benefit from some time away from each other."

"I believe that is incorrect," Eleanor answered calmly.

"We shall see," Dippet said. "If you would like to talk about this later, after giving it some more thought, feel free to drop by next week."

* * *

><p>Tom honestly couldn't believe it. Eleanor had marched into the common room, looking quite bothered. The second she had seen him, she had started mumbling about something involving the word holidays.<p>

Once she had calmed down a little, he began to understand what she was saying. That plotting professor had always been looking for a way to separate them. This was it. At least Dumbledore probably thought it was. But that wasn't going to happen. Tom would make sure of it. Having her away from him for so long would completely ruin all his plans, and he knew he wouldn't be able to say no if she insisted on going. After all, he was supposedly trying to make her happy, and that meant giving her what she wanted. He swore by Merlin he'd skin Dumbledore alive one day if she actually ended up wanting to go away.

"Who do they want you to stay with?" Tom asked, finally finding a pause in her ranting. She hadn't said yet, and he knew that was suspicious – there were very few people she wouldn't endlessly complain about having to spend a significant amount of time with. After ruling himself out, Tom knew it could only be one of her pet Gryffindors.

"I'll tell you later. I have homework to do, I'm going to the library. I'll see you later," Eleanor answered quickly.

He grabbed her hand, pulling her back down onto the couch next to him. "Tell me. Now," Tom whispered, dangerously close to her.

"Really Tom, we'll talk about it later," Eleanor insisted.

"_I want_ to talk about it now Elle." Those had become his magic words. He knew that if he kept giving her what she wanted, she would feel obliged to give him what he wanted.

"Come on," Eleanor grabbed his hand, pulling him out of the common room with her and leading him down a few corridors until they hit a dead end.

Eleanor leaned against the wall, her head titled back.

"Aiden," Eleanor almost sighed, holding her breath for his reaction.

"Belvedere?" Tom asks, just checking, almost hoping he had misheard. Of course she would want to go.

"Yes," Eleanor said, looking away – she couldn't pinpoint why, but she felt incredibly guilty for some reason.

"You're not going," Tom says. A few weeks ago, Eleanor would have called it an order. Now it sounded more like a plea.

She looked up at him sharply, clearly annoyed with the whole situation, "I don't have a choice, Tom!"

He leans in closer to her, "Yes, you do. You're staying with me, and I don't care what any of the bloody professors have to say about it."

Merlin, she's never seen him looking so desperate – and that makes her feel extra terrible for what she says next, "Maybe … maybe they're right though."

"What?" He's actually glaring at her. It seems like it's been a long time since she last saw that look directed toward her.

"Maybe we need some time away from each other."

"No, we just need some time with each other without anyone else to get in the way," Tom leaned toward her, trapping her back against the wall. His voice was mixed with so much anguish and desire that she could barely recognize it. "Like when we were kids."

Tom's lips hovered over hers as he whispered. Eleanor tried desperately not to look at him. Why did he have to be so damn gorgeous? How could he even make that expression and seem cute? "Tom … I just need a break."

"From what?" There was that glare again. Tom couldn't hide what he was for long.

"You know," Eleanor whispered, trying to ignore the way their lips almost touched.

The anger flashed inside of Tom. He could feel his arm throbbing as he wished he could reach for his wand, "You need a break from me to be with your muggle-loving little pet for a few weeks?"

Eleanor sighed, looking back at him. She should have known Tom wasn't really all that different. "Tom, you know that's not it."

"It is," he hissed at her. "Admit it."

She wouldn't look at him. She wouldn't even touch him, moving carefully away every time he even breathed on her. She knew the second she answered him was the second that everything they had worked toward for the last few weeks would fall apart – she knew he would take it as an admission of guilt, of wanting to leave him, and react to that idea as he always had.

Suddenly, Eleanor's arms wrapped around Tom and her head rested against his chest. "That's not true. I love you Tom. You're my best friend, and you always will be."

Tom was still bitter. "Don't lie. You want to be with him."

"Believe me, I would rather spend my holidays with you, not him." She smiled a little, looking up at him. "I'm going to miss the snow fights, hot chocolate, and staying up all night."

"Then don't let them tell you what to do," Tom says, wrapping his arms around her so definitively that she could barely move.

"You try to change Dippet's mind. I already did and he was not having it."

"I will. I promise."

He kissed her, pushing her up against the wall. She wasn't exactly resisting, but she was completely passive. He thought he'd earned some reciprocation by now. He pulled her toward him with a hand on her waist. She reached for his other hand, lacing her fingers in with his. He was so glad that she felt comfortable with him again. This was progress. At this rate, he was sure to convince her to accept being in love with him in the next few months.

Eleanor suddenly pulled away.

"What?" Tom hissed, missing her lips already.

"I just remembered I have homework to do," she says, giggling. "You distracted me."

"Do it later," He eagerly kissed her again, knowing he didn't want her to leave now, when she was finally giving him his chance.

"I can't. I have to go get a book from the library."

"Or you can stay here."

Eleanor smiled, "Really Tom, I have to go."

"Then I'm coming with you," Tom laced his fingers in with hers as they walked.

"Tom," She whined.

"What?" She looked at their hands. "Why?"

"People are going to notice."

"They already have. It doesn't matter anymore."

She smirked, "Tom Riddle doesn't mind people knowing he cares about someone?"

"I'm not going to let go."

"I didn't ask you to."

"You did. With your eyes."

"Did not."

"Did."

"Did not."

"Did."

"Did not."

"I'm not playing this childish game with you anymore. You did."

"I did not."

"Honestly Elle."

"Fine, I'll stop. But I win."

"Maybe this time," Tom squeezed her hand and saw her smile a little, ignoring the odd looks from the group of Slytherins they just walked past.

* * *

><p>They get to the library and there he is, just sitting at a table near the entrance. Aiden looks up at her, expecting a greeting. His look changes when he sees Tom trailing behind her, still holding her hand.<p>

"Hey Lena!" Aiden yells out. The librarian turns and shushes him, but he doesn't seem to care.

Eleanor actually stops. Tom had said he was okay with her friendship with Aiden after all. "Hey. What's up?"

"Potions homework. I am so lost on this essay."

Tom nearly gags at the way Aiden smiles at her. Eleanor leans over his table, looking at the paper he has in front of him. "What's it about?"

"The drought of living death."

She looked through the pile of books he had on the table, finally pulling one out. She flipped through it for a few seconds before handing it to him, "That's everything you need."

Aiden smiled at her even more brightly. Tom had not realized that was even possible. "How did you know?"

Eleanor smirked, "I, unlike you, do my homework the day before it's due – not the day after."

Aiden shrugged, "I had quidditch practice. Thanks. Can you do me a favor?"

"Depends what it is, doesn't it?" Aiden shot Tom a look, smirking. He leaned up, whispering something to her, to which she responded, "Sure, I can do that."

"Great."

"By the way, I have to talk to you about something later. After dinner?"

Aiden nodded, grinning as he looked at her.

* * *

><p>"What was that about?" Tom hissed, leaning against the bookshelf behind her as she searched for a book.<p>

"Nothing," Eleanor didn't have to ask what he was talking about. She could probably hear the resentful tone in his voice.

"Come on," Tom said, fiddling with his tie. "It obviously had to be about something. I want to know."

Eleanor ran her hand along the spines of a row of books, "Just don't worry yourself about it dear."

Tom smirked, stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her. "Dear?"

"Sorry," Eleanor said, wincing. How could she forgot he was usually adverse to anything remotely affectionate?

"I'm not mad," He kissed her cheek lightly.

She looked up at him almost timidly, "I just thought you wouldn't like things like that."

"Well don't call me that in front of everyone, obviously."

"And what if I do, Tom dear?"

"I'll be forced to kiss you to make everyone think everything's completely normal, Elle."

Eleanor smirked, "Oh, that would be just awful."

"I know. Absolutely terrible." He let go of her, leaning against the bookcase she was looking through now. "Hurry up."

"You're going to have to stop being so impatient Tom."

"I can't help it when you're around darling."

She smirked, "Darling?"

He just kept looking at her. She looked over suddenly, unexpectedly meeting his eyes. Her eyes widened as she saw his intense stare – and then he actually smiled. Tom smiled. She was still not quite used to this, even if it was significantly more frequent then it had been before.

"Have you found your book yet?"

She walked over to him, her hand sliding along the tops of the books. She quickly looked up as she snatched one.

"Yes, I have," Eleanor just kissed him on the cheek quickly as she passed. He was pretty sure he could get used to this behavior if all it took to get it was being a bit nice.

* * *

><p>She can't even look at Tom anymore. He's just refusing to listen. She keeps telling him this is what she wants – <em>she wants<em> to go on holiday. Just for one week. She would still spend the other two with him. She wants to get out of this castle. And she wants to spend time with Aiden without that residual fear of Tom killing him. She knew she had only changed her mind earlier because Tom had been so angry, but she didn't want things to be that way anymore. She didn't want to make all her decisions based on the fear of making Tom angry. She didn't want him to be able to manipulate her into agreeing with him with just a sad look.

But he keeps telling her he doesn't want her to. He asks her why she can't just listen to him for once. He calls her selfish again. It's the same argument they had that morning so many weeks ago. Of course she should have known this wouldn't work.

So Eleanor turned and walked away. And then she started running. She can't stand being near him. He never listens to her. Why did she even pretend he could change? Why did she even hope for a second that they could both agree on the way things were now? Of course he wouldn't just "get better." It wasn't like he had a bloody disease. He was just a jerk.

Well, she wasn't going to give him the chance to talk her into changing her mind again.

She ran down the steps toward the courtyard.

Stupid Tom. Why did he have to be such a jerk? What a stubborn, mean twat! How could he have called her selfish?

"Lena?" She jumped at Rose's voice. Her hands flew up to wipe away the tears on her face before Rose saw them. Rose ran to the opposite side of the courtyard, where Eleanor was leaning against the half wall separating the covered hallway from the open yard, watching the storm outside. "Are you crying?"

Rose's question was more of an announcement. Eleanor suddenly realized how silly she was being. Tom hadn't even hit her or cursed her. Had she really become so petty that Tom disagreeing with her would make her cry? She almost missed the days when it was a habit to listen to Tom – at least she wouldn't have to worry about her stupid feelings being hurt then.

"No, I just got a little rain on me," Eleanor whispered, trying not to look at her. Merlin, she was not this petty. She never would have run out on Tom for calmly disagreeing with her. Hell, she would have just been thankful he was calm.

"Does this have any connection to Aiden storming past me earlier?"

Eleanor nodded again. Rose leaped forward and hugged her.

"And might it have anything to do with Riddle?"

She nodded once again.

"Poor girl," Rose patted her head as if to console her. "Well, how about you just hang out in the Gryffindor common room for a few hours? I promise we'll try our best to cheer you up. Plus Aiden will probably be happier this way."

"That sounds lovely," Eleanor said with a smile.

* * *

><p>The first thing she realizes is that the Gryffindor common room is warm. It's a nice change. The second thing she realizes is that everyone is staring at her. Rose coughs suggestively, and about half of them turn around. It only takes a quick glance from her to get the rest of them to stop staring too.<p>

"If it isn't our charming little snake again," George smirks. "Slither over here. I haven't seen you in ages. What's new?"

Eleanor takes the seat next to him, but before she gets the chance to respond she notices someone else moving towards the group.

"Hey," Aiden says. "Can I talk to you in private for a minute?"

Eleanor nods, "Sorry George, you're going to have to wait a bit longer before we have the chance to catch up."

Aiden takes her hand and starts leading her up the staircase she saw him come down from earlier. When he opens the door to a room she realizes that these are the Gryffindor boys dormitories.

She takes a seat on his bed before he starts talking. He moves the desk chair over so he's sitting across from her.

"Since you're upset, I'm guessing he said no?" Aiden and Eleanor had talked about the holidays earlier, right after dinner. She had warned him this might happen.

She was still smiling from earlier, "I thought we were going to talk about this again while I helped you with your star charts later tonight?"

Aiden shrugged, "We were. I figured that it was unlikely you would show since Riddle is such an ass."

Tom had pulled her away from their conversation after dinner, giving her some dramatics about how she would probably die and no one would find her body if she ever left his sight without telling him where she was going again. Aiden thought it was a threat, but Eleanor saw it is an overreaction – no matter how old she got, Tom would never trust her to take care of herself.

Eleanor smirked, "You have to have realized how stubborn I am by now."

"I have," Aiden's smile faded. "I just thought with Riddle acting like that you would want to make sure he was alright, and you probably wouldn't have time to think about me. What's with that anyway?"

"What?" Eleanor asks cautiously, afraid they would get into yet another argument about Tom hitting her. "He's stopped being like before – he doesn't hurt me anymore. He even said I could hang out with you. You might have noticed things have been a little different for the last few weeks."

"I did. But the way Riddle acts about you is the same. You get hell for being out of his sight for even three seconds, don't you?"

"I've known him since we were kids. My usual day was a mix between getting into trouble, getting hurt, and getting sick. He evolved a serious protective complex. He doesn't have one shred of faith that I can get along fine by myself."

Aiden rolled his eyes before affixing them on the ceiling, "He kisses you."

"So?" Eleanor asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't like it."

"Neither do I."

"So why do you let him?"

"Because…" Eleanor sighs, knowing he wouldn't understand. "Why does it concern you anyway?"

"It's annoying."

"Of course it is, half the time he's doing it on purpose to annoy you. Anyway, the holidays?"

"Yeah, Dumbledore just asked me one day after a prefect meeting. My mom's been annoying me about inviting my friends over, but Rose is absolutely adamant about staying here so she can study for OWLs and I think George is too much of a handful for my mom to deal with. It's not a big deal if you really _can__'__t_ come."

"Actually, since I've decided I do want to come, I don't much care if Tom tells me I can't. Besides, to tell you the truth, I don't have much of a choice. Dumbledore wants me to be separated from Riddle for a while."

"And from your tone, I can guess that you don't agree."

"I didn't at first, but I'm warming up to the idea."

Aiden grinned, "Fantastic."

* * *

><p>The rain had stopped by the time she decided she had to go back to her common room. Eleanor fully expected to see Tom sitting alone, fuming in an armchair, the second she opened the portrait hole. Instead, the room was full of students chatting and finishing homework.<p>

Tom was nowhere to be seen. For a second, she worried about where he was and if he was angry. Upon remembering her earlier frustration, all thoughts of Tom except for hatred slipped away. She sat down and read a book for a few minutes. Restlessness kept gnawing at her head, digging up the worry she had tried to bury. Her worry eventually exceeded her anger.

She stood up, resolving to find him and make sure that he wasn't about to kill himself or anyone else. After that, she would go on her way.

* * *

><p>When Eleanor saw Tom, she sincerely thought he was about to launch himself off of the Astronomy Tower. He was leaning over the railing so radically that it seemed like a gust of wind would blow him over.<p>

She didn't know what to say. She didn't want him to know she had given up like always and gone looking for him, but it would be even more embarrassing if he turned around and saw her leaving.

"I was wrong," Tom suddenly said.

"About what?" Eleanor was more surprised by the response that slipped out of her mouth than the fact that he was actually talking to her. Wasn't she not supposed to respond? Wasn't she mad at him? What was wrong with her that she couldn't stay mad at _Tom Riddle_ of all people?

"Thinking we could want the same things. I didn't notice how much you wanted to be with him – and how much you didn't want to be with me."

She leaned against the railing next to him, staring up at the sky. He saw her shiver and took off his cape, wrapping it around her.

"Let's go back to the common room," She said, trying not to respond so she wouldn't risk making him angry. She knew he probably wouldn't agree so easily, but it was worth a shot.

"What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing."

"Then why do you like that damn lion more?"

"I don't. It's just … we fight so much whenever we're together. I don't want to fight with you."

"We weren't fighting until he got in the way."

"And then you always started a fight."

"After you started ignoring me in favor of that imbecile."

"I was not ignoring you. I was talking to other people. What's so wrong with that?"

"You completely forget I exist. That bastard smiles at you and you forget that we had plans. We _have_ plans. This is not the way things are supposed to be."

"And what is the way things are supposed to be?" Eleanor had to stop herself from screaming at him in frustration. "Apparently you never informed me of the life plan you made for us."

"We're supposed to get through this school together, remember? And we're never going back to London. Instead we'll move to a nice little house near the ocean. You're supposed to be a newspaper reporter and I'm going to be a great wizard."

She felt like laughing, "We came up with that plan when we were eleven. It's been over five years Tom. It's not like you really thought things were going to go that way."

"Actually, I did."

Suddenly she felt bad for thinking it was hilarious that he still remembered that. He was looking down at her, and his stormy eyes looked so serious that she wasn't sure how to respond.

Eleanor looked down at the lake, wondering if you could see the Slytherin common room from way up here. A few minutes of silence passed before he broke it.

"It looks likes it's going to snow soon," She peaked over to see him smiling. It seemed so contradictory to what his mood had been just a little while ago. "I'm going to clobber you in every snow fight we have over break."

"No, you won't," She said it even though he was still smiling. She couldn't bear to tell him that she wasn't going to be here to get into snow fights with him. "Let's go swimming."

Tom turned, staring at her. "Are you crazy? It's freezing."

"Let's go. I know a warming charm."

"You do realize it's winter?"

"Fine. If you don't want to go I'll go alone."

"You're going to get sick," Tom teased.

She stuck her tongue out at him in response. "I think I can handle a little cold water mother."

As she turned to go, he grabbed her, wrapping his arms around her as he stood behind her. "You're still shivering. Besides, did you really think I'd let you go alone?"

"It doesn't seem like you're letting me go at all."

"Later tonight. That way none of the professors will be screaming at us to get out of the water."

"Like they would really care."

"Do you not remember their screaming after the last adventure you decided to go on?"

"The shrieking shack was not nearly as dangerous as they assumed it was. I came out fine, didn't I?"

"I came out fine. You had to be carried to the hospital wing."

"So I banged my head a little. I still wasn't attacked by evil ghosts or anything."

"What made you hit your head?"

"I thought I saw a ghost," Eleanor admitted in defeat.

"So you see where your risky little adventures tend to get us?"

She pouted, "That was one time."

"Because the other times put you in far more danger. Would you like to reconsider this little adventure?"

"Nope. I want to go swimming, and I want to go now."

He leaned back against the railing and thought for a second, "And would it be okay if this swimming happened indoors?"

"You are _not_ going to flood another floor. The Hufflepuffs were soggy for weeks."

"No, I'm more creative than that. Come on."

* * *

><p>The prefect bathroom surprised her. She hadn't even known this existed. She was also almost positive that Tom was not supposed to have let her in here, seeing as she wasn't a prefect.<p>

Tom started turning on the faucets while she went to change in one of the stalls. When she came out, he was already changed and in the water.

"Good enough of a swimming place for you?"

"The lake would have been better."

"And you would have frozen to death. I'm sure that would've been fun."

* * *

><p>It's after curfew as they creep through the halls back to the common room. They'd managed to have about five bubble fights and two splashing fights, accompanied by about three joking attempts of one of them to drown the other. After hours lounging in the tub, they'd slithered down to the kitchens to grab a quick snack.<p>

They take the secret passageway behind one of the tapestries near the kitchen to one on the other side of the great hall. The staircase down to the dungeons is only a few steps away, and they know that none of Tom's friends will dare give them detention once they're there.

"What time is it?" She whispers over to Tom. He does a charm to make a clock appear. It's past midnight. She realizes there's somewhere she should have been a long time ago. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Where are you going at midnight?"

"I ran into Sinistra a few days ago and she asked me to help with one of her classes today."

"Fine. Don't get caught running up there by any of the prefects, because then I'll likely have to come and talk your way out of trouble."

Eleanor smirked, "I can talk my own way out of trouble."

Tom suddenly kissed her, "Goodnight."

* * *

><p>"Hello," Eleanor called, climbing the steps up to the Astronomy tower. She saw Aiden sitting by a microscope sketching his star chart.<p>

"You're about two hours late."

"I'm sorry. I have an awful memory."

"Is that Jupiter or Saturn?"

She looked through the microscope. "Saturn."

He pointed down at his star chart, "So this one over here would be Jupiter?"

"Probably."

"**When it was dark, you always carried the sun in your hand for me.****" ****–**** Se****á****n O'Casey**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yes, FINALLY! More to come (hopefully). To answer some review questions: Yes, this story is pretty much on extended hiatus as I usually can only update during school breaks. It will be finished eventually because I have an awesome ending writing. And yes, it is tragic, but I've already promised a good one so that will branch off at a later point in the story. The story will mostly focus on Hogwarts, including all of Tom's evil adventures like horcruxes in sixth/seventh year, though there will be a few chapters after that.

Seems like Tom's becoming a little nicer ... we'll see how long how long that lasts this time ;)


	21. Closing the Distance

**I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I do not know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep your eyes close. – Pablo Neruda**

Eleanor still doesn't have the heart to tell Tom that she isn't staying at Hogwarts over break. Even as she's planning what to pack and he's planning what to do, she keeps the secret away from him.

There's only a week left before break when Tom plops down next to Eleanor on a sofa she's taken over in the common room. He leans forward, as if he's reading over her shoulder. "I can't wait for break. The first thing I'm going to do is bury you in snow."

She fakes a tight smile, "Sure."

His eyebrows furrow as he whispers, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"I can tell that isn't true."

Eleanor bites her lip, avoiding his eager eyes as she says, "I'm not going to be here during break."

Tom scowls, "Where _are_ you going to be?"

"With Aiden," she barely squeaks out.

"No," he almost growls.

"They said I had to Tom," Eleanor says, knowing it will hurt so much more if she admits she actually wants to.

But of course Tom sees right through her excuse. "And I talked to Dippet. He said you didn't have to. I told you this two weeks ago."

"I'm going anyway Tom."

"No, you are not. Not even over my dead body."

"How are you going to stop me?"

"I'll …" he stops, knowing he can't threaten her again. He can't let this undo everything. He was so close. They were so close. He just needed that extra few weeks with her to bring them together the way he wanted them to be. "I'll think of something."

Tom stands abruptly, striding briskly away. Can't let her see him angry again, after all this time when he'd actually managed to control his emotions.

* * *

><p>Eleanor packs a day before the train leaves. Anticipating Tom's continued disapproval, she hides her stuff in her dorm just in case he attempts to sabotage her plans. He's successful despite her precautions. He must have gotten someone in her dorm to steal her things, because all of her trunks are gone when she comes back from classes.<p>

They had never really resolved the issue of whether she could go or not. He had continued to be adamant about her not being allowed to go, but she continued to remind him that he no longer controlled her life. She should have known he would find some way to stop her. After all, in her own personal solar system, Tom was the sun – he held her close to him, controlling her orbit. When he was happy it could light up her whole world, that tiny little planet that she inhabited which paled in comparison to his great mind.

There was an hour left before the train departed, and she had absolutely none of her belongings. She almost started crying, realizing she couldn't go like this. Instead, she walked over to the Gryffindor common room. Students were milling around in front of the portrait, and she asked one where Rose was. The first-year let Eleanor into the common room, where Rose was sitting with George. Eleanor asked where Aiden was. When Rose said he was at quidditch practice and wouldn't be back until the last minute, her face fell.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, sweet as always.

"I can't go."

"Riddle?" Rose asks knowingly, cocking an eyebrow.

"He hid all of my stuff. Even the clothes I didn't pack. There's some things laying around, everything I was planning to pack last minute. But I don't even have one dress. There's no chance in hell he'll tell me where it all is before the train leaves."

Rose stands and starts walking toward the staircase to the girl's dorms, "Follow me."

She leads Eleanor up to her room. Rose opens her wardrobe, revealing drawers filled with jeans and two rows of hangers holding dresses and tops.

"There are some trunks on the floor. You look about my size."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, I'd love to help you. Besides, it's not like I'll need any of it while I'm cooped up here studying. The only person I'll see is Ryan, and it's not like he cares what I look like. Take whatever you need."

"I mean … Tom will make sure you regret it if he finds out."

"I don't think he could make me regret it, as long as you promise me you'll end up under the mistletoe with Aiden at least once," she jokes.

Eleanor laughs, "Thank you so much, but I don't think I'd be able to hold that one up."

"Oh, I'm not worried. I'm sure George will make it a reality anyway. Now do you need some help packing?"

* * *

><p>After everything's packed up, Rose says she'll take care of the trunks and make sure they get down to the train so Eleanor doesn't have to worry about Tom hiding those too. Eleanor goes back to the Slytherin common room, knowing she can't leave Tom for a week without saying some kind of goodbye. She finds Tom in his room as usual and asks him to take a walk in the snow. Tom stands, dropping the book he was reading onto his bed. They don't talk again until after they're outside.<p>

"So, I guess you noticed?"

Eleanor nods, "I'm going anyway Tom. I'll wear my school uniforms if I have to."

"You are not going."

"It's only a few weeks." She stops walking under a large oak tree that shields them from the light snow falling. "I'll be back before you know it."

He leans against her, pushing her back against the tree. "No, you won't. I'll feel it the second you're gone. You'll come back different. Hell, you'll probably forget about me and make that obnoxious lion your new best friend."

"I'll write you every day Tom. I promise."

He leans over so his forehead rests against hers. "You won't have to, because you aren't going."

She closes her eyes, afraid to look into his. "I _am_ going. I swear that if you try to stop me from getting on that train, I won't be back for two weeks and I won't write you once."

To her surprise, he kisses her forehead, "Please don't."

She feels something almost as cold as ice fall onto her cheek. As Tom pulls away, Eleanor opens her eyes. After looking at him, she realizes the drop paving a cold trail along her face is one of his tears. He looks into my eyes and kisses her. Once, twice, again and again, each accompanied by more cold droplets and a dejected whispers asking her not to go.

At this point, Eleanor has two options. She either breaks Aiden's heart, or she breaks Tom's. She searches desperately for a middle ground.

"I'll be back in a week, okay? You'll still get to spend two whole weeks with me."

"You could spend the whole three weeks with me."

She shakes her head, "Tom, I promise things aren't going to be worse when I come back. I promise I'll write you. I promise we'll do everything we did before. Snowball fights, hot cocoa by the common room fireplace, making snow angels, exchanging gifts, everything."

"I don't want you to go. Anywhere. Ever. No matter for how long. I don't know what I'm going to do without you."

"Just read, do homework, relax. Time will fly."

"No, it won't. Time will slowly cripple along while I spend every agonizing second wondering what you're doing."

"It'll be fine," she kisses him to try to reassure him. If there's one way she knows to make Tom feel better, it's to make him secure in knowing that she will always care about him most. And here's her most ultimate sacrifice to him – herself. She hopes giving him this little piece of affection that she knows he needs will make it a little easier for him to let her go.

Because if she sees the old Tom again, if he tries to curse her or hits her or worse in an attempt to make her stay, she's not sure she'll be held in his orbit much longer. If she has to feel his hand around her throat taking away all her air again, or wince through another unforgivable curse, she knows she won't come back. No matter how much she cares about him. And she knows that, fundamentally, would destroy anything left in Tom that isn't cruel and controlling.

As their lips are moving away from each other again, a snowball hits his arm, wrapped around her waist. They both look up quickly, but can't see anyone. Suddenly, she gets a bright idea for a little fun to lighten the mood.

Eleanor leans down and gathers a snowball with her hands. Tom looks at her suspiciously, "You wouldn't dare throw that thing at me right now."

She stands up with the snowball sitting in her hands, "Maybe I would."

He does wordless and wandless magic, making the snow roll itself into a ball that floats into his hands. "If you would, maybe I would too."

They both throw the snowballs at each other at exactly the same moment. Her's hits his chest, his hits her leg. She laughs and reaches up to take the snow off of his shirt. While she does so, he secretly conjures another snowball and surprises her by bashing it against her back. She shivers and then runs to hide behind the tree, conjuring a few more snowballs for "defensive" purposes.

By the time their snowball fight is over, they are laying in the snow, clothes covered with flakes of white. Tom fell down on top of her in an attempt to tackle her out of her position behind the tree. He rolled over so now she's laying on top of him as he runs his hands up and down her arms in an attempt to warm her up. Her head lays on his chest, her eyes closed. Instead of staying on her arms, one of his hands wanders up. He runs a finger down her chin, hand wandering until he pulls out the pendant of the necklace she's wearing. It's a locket he gave her last Christmas, with a picture of them inside. He stares at it for a while before putting it down.

"Hot chocolate?" Tom asks.

Eleanor looks down at her watch, "I don't have time."

She attempts to get up, but he keeps his arms tightly around her. "Stay, at least for a few more minutes."

He rolls over again, tucking her under him and kissing her again.

* * *

><p>Eleanor gets on the train on time, but only through much begging. Like Rose had said, all her trunks were already waiting in the same compartment where Aiden and George were sitting. The second she walked in George looked over at her and raised an eyebrow, "Have fun with Tom? Kissing in the snow. Quite romantic."<p>

Eleanor looked away, ignoring his judgment as she sat down next to Aiden, who leans over to her and whispers, "I wish you'd just hit him."

"Sometimes, I do too," she says, blushing, but she doesn't think they're talking about the same person.

Eleanor looks out of the large window on the opposite wall from the door to the compartment. Tom was standing there, looking straight into the window as if he just instinctively knew where she was. She pulls a journal out of her bag, identical to the one Tom is holding. Tom had given it to her right before she had left. Whatever one person wrote in one journal, the other could see in their journal. It was like conducting a conversation on paper.

_Be safe. I love you, _was scrawled across the first page in his perfect handwriting.

_I will. I love you too. Please don__'__t spend every day alone just waiting for me to come back._

_How else am I supposed to spend my days?_

She smiles down at what could actually be construed as a sweet statement.

_Why don__'__t you read? I left you a bunch of my books._

Eleanor spies a smirk on his face as he writes, holding his notebook against his arm and scribbling in a much messier way than he usually would as he stands on the train platform.

_Actually, you technically left me all of your books. Not to mention clothes, homework, and everything else. I__'__m actually not sure if I__'__ll give any of it back._

_And where are you going to keep it? In your room, where I often sleep__?_

_I have a few other ideas. Darling, don__'__t we have more important things to discuss? Like the rules for this little bother of yours?_

_We never even agreed there would be__…_

Aiden leans over suddenly, "What's that?"

Eleanor shuts the journal quickly, slamming the covers together. If Aiden only knew … well, hopefully he never did. "Just my diary."

He looks away, seemingly bored, as the train begins to move. She opens the journal again to see one last comment from Tom.

_I__'__ll have your rules written in here by tomorrow. You are to follow them to the word. There is to be no argument about what the rules are. Be safe and don__'__t forget._

**For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. – Stephanie Perkins**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** A very short chapter as I work on adding a few parts to the next one, including a look inside Tom's head, as a few reviewers asked for, and scenes to flush out Aiden's character a bit more. That should be ready relatively soon, as long as I don't get writer's block.

Hey, you know what would help with that? Reviewing! But really, I hope those of you still holding onto this very-slow-to-update story will keep me posted on your thoughts. I honestly do love to hear them and try to consider them when writing future chapters. Also, sorry if there are a lot of grammar mistakes in this one, didn't have the chance to read it over again before posting :/

_Please review if you have any questions/comments. And no excuses, because you can submit anonymous reviews! Thank you for reading :)_


	22. Candid Connection

**Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage. – ****Anais Nin**

Despite his reminder, she forgets about the journal and Tom's rules until late the next night, after she's spent all day buying presents with George and Aiden. She cracks it open at nearly midnight and begins reading what he's written to her that day.

_Good morning. Awake yet, sleeping beauty?_

_Hello darling. I'm about to have lunch. I expect a response when I'm back._

_Sitting by the fire and thinking about you. These muggle books you've got are dull. Learning some new spells. I'll teach you all of them when you get back._

_What are you doing anyway?_

_Here are the rules:_

1. _You will not call any of those Gryffindors your best friend. I am your only best friend, and will be extremely insulted if I hear you call them that._

2. _You are to stay at least five inches away from that bumbling lion at all times._

3. _You are to tell me what you did everyday. And you know how I will react if you lie._

_If I see the need for more rules, I'll add them here._

Suddenly, a new line appeared.

_Finally back?_

_I'm sorry I haven't checked this all day. How was your day?_

_As you've probably already read, very boring. I miss you. Come back._

_You know I can't. I don't like your rules. 5 inches? Are you serious?_

_You know very well that I am. What did you do today?_

_We went out._

_For what?_

_Christmas shopping. Dinner._

_Dinner?_

_Yes, we were hungry. What is wrong with that?_

_The fact that it sounds suspiciously like a date._

_Trust me, it wasn't. George was with us. The food was wonderful though. And I bought you a fabulous gift. But you'll just have to wait to find out what it is._

_Yes, I will. Six more days. You do realize that if I jump off of the astronomy tower due to boredom, it will be completely your fault?_

_Don't do that then. _

_You're making it sound a lot easier then it is._

_I'm sorry Tom, but I'm awfully tired. Can I go to sleep now without you dying of loneliness?_

_I'm not exactly sure. Will you promise to write me in the morning?_

_Of course._

_Then you may go to sleep._

_Goodnight._

_Goodnight. I love you._

* * *

><p>Eleanor is getting ready for bed when Aiden pops into her room to ask if she wants to go flying. She hesitates for a second because she knows Tom wouldn't let her go – hovering on a stick over 30 feet above the ground is inherently dangerous, after all. But who really wants to play it safe all the time? She grabs a jacket and follows him out of the house.<p>

She was surprised by the house. He had never really warned her about what she should expect – a mansion in the nicest part of London. But he had been so humble when she got there that she didn't feel intimidated, even if the room was she was staying in was three times larger than the one she had at the orphanage.

She's even more surprised by the backyard. The doors he leads her through open up to a field surrounded by a iddlic forest.

"Don't look so shocked. There's a lake further down too, if you'd like to go ice skating some other day."

She grabs the broom he threw her, "You should have warned me about all of this."

"How would I have phrased that? Something like 'by the way, I'm part of one of those rich pureblood families and my father's the deputy minister of magical law enforcement' sounds quite a bit conceited to me."

"It's really nice out here. Very relaxing."

He smirks as he lets go of the snitch. "Let's see if you still feel relaxed after I catch the snitch first."

"Oh, I didn't realize we were actually in one of your dreams."

"I think you're just confused because of my shockingly good looks. I know it's hard to believe that someone as perfect as I exists in real life."

"Really, you're Mr. Perfect? Let me just prove your wrong when I win this game."

She takes off without warning, flying up. Lights from the house turn on automatically, and she squints as she sees the snitch flitting around just over the chimney.

* * *

><p>They land nearly an hour later, both laughing.<p>

"You were the one that nearly crashed into the car. Did you not see that on your way into the dive?"

"No, I was too distracted by you trying to take off your shirt to distract me."

"See, it did work then! You just admitted it."

"No, I was distracted by you almost flipping upside down while attempting to pull it off, not by you actually not wearing a shirt. That reminds me," she throws the ball of fabric at him, "put it back on. And throwing it at me was not fair game."

"I did not realize there were rules, especially not after you threatened to fly all the way to France if I didn't give you a head start in catching it the second time."

"The first time was unfair! I still think you must have been controlling it somehow since it flew into your bedroom."

"It just loves me more."

"_It_ is an object. It doesn't love anyone. Especially not you. Why would anything love you?"

"Because, I'm Mr. Perfect. You said so yourself, remember?" He smirks as he does an impression of her pouting and her voice, "Oh, please, Mr. Perfect, will you let me win?"

She drops her broom and runs toward him, hitting him on the chest meekly, "Stop mocking me!"

He laughs in response to her faux anger, grabbing her arms and knocking them both back onto the grass with her laying on top of him.

"You are so mean to me," she says, making herself pout.

"How so my little snake?" he asks, smiling back up at her.

"By, by … well, you just are!"

"Oh dear, you can't think of any way, can you?"

"Not right now, but I will!"

"You are the one that is mean to me," he accuses with a poke, still smirking.

"How so?"

"First of all, by accusing me of being mean," She sees some seriousness enter his eyes, "And by always putting him ahead of me."

"Aiden, that isn't fair." She says, rolling to his side.

"You're right, it isn't fair."

"I spend plenty of time with you –"

"You never have lunch with me when I ask. You never sit with me in class. You're always with him. When I do manage to convince you to spend a second with me, you're late or distracted."

"Aiden, you know what I have to deal with. Being with you is like escaping, but I can't escape if you're always talking about it."

"It's just … sometimes I can't help it, you know? I know he defines so much of your life, but I just feel bitter that … that I'm not that important to you."

She turns to him, "You really think that? You think you aren't important to me?"

He shrugs, "Sometimes."

She hugs him, pulling herself close, "Aiden, I don't know what I'd do without you. You have no clue how many times you've saved me.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just being temperamental." He grunts as he looks away from her.

"You know what I bet would make you feel better? A nice warm mug of hot cocoa to cap off the night. Should we go inside and make some?"

"Can you please stay outside with me a little longer?"

"Of course." She smiles. Moments of silence pass between them.

"My parents are mad at me. For wanting to do quidditch. They said it's a waste of time. They just want me to study for NEWTs so that I can take over my dad's position some day. That would be so utterly boring."

"Yeah, your parents seem … very unlike you."

"You noticed?"

"They hugged me but not George. I took that as a sign of some traditional pureblood values that, as far as I know, you disagree with."

"Oh, you have no clue how smug they were that you never showed up to the Malfoy's christmas party years ago when they were gossiping about it, and now you'll be at ours. You're practically the guest of honor."

She frowns, "I don't want to always be the odd one out, stared at and fought for like some prize."

"Trust me, blood never leaves you alone in the wizarding world. Their pride that we somehow became friends has now officially outweighed their disappointment with me for being sorted into Gryffindor, so at least that's one upside."

"I'll help you study for NEWTs next year and keep up with classes for now, you just work on that quidditch technique for now. If I can catch a snitch before you, you might want to brush up before those scouts start coming," she jokes, trying to lighten the mood.

"You don't have to spend so much time tutoring me, you know."

"It's the least I can do for you."

"I don't deserve it."

"Everything you've helped me through – with Tom …"

He interrupts her, "I never actually stood up for you. I never stopped him from hitting you or cursing you or even just screaming at you."

"You convinced me to stand up for myself, which was even better. If you'd done it, he never would have listened."

"I kept telling you I couldn't believe you could stand for that, but I stood by for so long too. I should have done something. I shouldn't have let you get hurt over and over again."

She touches his arm gently, "Let's not worry about that anymore, okay? It's over anyway."

He reaches out and runs his fingers over a large scar on her arm, still there from when Tom burned her with the fire poker. They're both silent.

"Let's get that hot chocolate now?" Aiden asks suddenly.

"Sounds perfect."

**Sometimes the measure of friendship isn't your ability to not harm but your capacity to forgive the things done to you and ask forgiveness for your own mistakes. – ****Randy K. Milholland**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Sorry for the continuously slow updates. I will finish this story, it will just take a while! Anyway, this chapter and the next two haven't been extensively edited, so please excuse any errors and tense inconstancies.

It kind of makes me sad that all my reviews disappeared :( I guess a lot of people moved on to other stories or don't read fanfiction anymore since I started this story so long ago, so it makes a lot of sense, but it still makes it harder to be motivated.

_Please review if you have any questions/comments. And no excuses, because you can submit anonymous reviews! I will also respond to private messages if you have questions. Thank you for reading :)_


	23. Frustrated

**It is not love that is blind, but jealousy. – ****Lawrence Durrell**

She wakes up an hour early and showers before pulling out the journal.

_Good morning Tom._

_Good morning darling._

_I was wondering … is it that you don't want me to have any friends or that you just don't want my friends to be from Gryffindor?_

_I am letting you have friends. If I wasn't, you would still be in this bloody drafty castle with me._

_Begrudgingly so. Why won't you let me have them and be happy about it?_

_Because, I still don't want you to have other friends. I am just letting you because that's what you want. End of story._

_Merlin Tom, do I detect some jealousy?_

_No, just mild anger._

_Why would you be angry?_

_Because you are questioning me about something we talked about weeks ago._

_And you never actually gave me an answer. Why does it make you so unhappy that I'd like to talk to other people sometimes?_

_I will not answer your question._

_Then I'm just going to assume you're jealous._

_Of the cowardly lion? Never._

_Good, then you won't mind me standing less then 5 inches from him._

_Actually, I will._

_You're jealous Tom._

_No, I am not._

_Then why won't you let me stand by him?_

_Because that damn lion is a bastard who can barely restrain himself from attacking you even when you're halfway across the room. And I will not have myself associated with someone who is dating a Gryffindor. _

_So I can date someone who isn't a Gryffindor?_

_I did not say that._

_How about a Slytherin then?_

_No._

_Why not?_

_You are talking about Higgs, and I will not have myself associated with someone dating that deviant either._

_Fine. There are seven other players on the Slytherin quidditch team to choose from._

_A quidditch player? As if any of those morons could actually hold your attention for more than a few minutes. This is an idiotic conversation._

_Higgs is not a moron. This conversation will not end until you offer me an explanation of why you won't agree to letting me have a boyfriend._

_Explanation: None of the boys at Hogwarts are good enough for you._

_I disagree._

_Let's count out your pet lion and the moronic quidditch player. Anyone else you think is good enough for you?_

_Well … that isn't fair. You know those are the two I'm interested in._

_And we've already ruled them out, so this conversation is over. Moving on…_

_This conversation is not over, Tom._

_I don't want to talk about this and you know it, Eleanor._

_Fine. But just so you know, I haven't agreed with you yet._

_I miss you Ella. I woke up and rolled over and said good morning before realizing you were gone. Please come back soon._

_Five more days. You'll be fine._

_Six if we are going to count today. No, I will not. Cut your trip short. _

_I can't do that Tom._

_Yes, you…_

Aiden suddenly walked in, "Hello, have you seen my … Oh, you aren't dressed yet?"

Eleanor shuts the journal and starts combing her hair instead. "No. Why?"

"We were going to go ice skating at 9. Didn't George tell you?"

"No, he's probably still asleep," she said with a laugh.

"Want to help me wake him up?" Aiden said, his famous grin appearing.

Eleanor perked up, "Sounds like fun."

* * *

><p>Aiden and Eleanor both ran into George's room at the same time. Eleanor climbed onto the bed and started jumping up and down, while Aiden turned on the radio. He danced over, grabbing her hand and pulling her down so she could waltz with him. George cracks his eyes open and stars at them.<p>

"Blimey, I didn't know I was in an insane asylum!" He sits up in bed, "So what's today got in store for us, my fellow patients?"

"We are going ice skating!" She yells as Aiden spins her around.

"I'll meet you at breakfast in half an hour mate." Aiden says, spinning Eleanor right out of the room and closing the door behind them. He spins her one final time and then they stop, faces only centimeters away.

She blushes, "I … I have to go get ready. I'll see you at breakfast."

As she walks back to her room, she's screaming at herself in her head. She can't believe she's already screwed up so badly. Tom is going to murder them both.

She opens the journal again. Tom doesn't seem happy at her sudden disappearance.

_Yes, you can cut your trip short. You ought not to have gone at all. By the way, thank you for suddenly walking away from me._

_Sorry, I have to go soon. We're going ice skating._

_That stupid lion is going to get his fair share of floggings once break is over._

_Tom, don't be mad._

_Why shouldn't I be? You left me at Hogwarts alone while you went frolicking about with that idiot._

_Then at least be mad at me instead of him._

_Oh, don't worry. You'll be lucky if I don't handcuff you to me after this._

_Being a little dramatic, aren't you?_

_Not in the least._

_I sense some jealousy. _

_No, you sense anger. Anger at the fact that you abandoned me. I don't particularly care for whom._

_Because you're jealous of everyone dear._

_I am not. Come back._

_I told you, I can't. I'll see you in a few days._

_I want to see you right now._

_You'll have to wait._

_Fine. I'm going to Hogsmead tomorrow to buy those handcuffs._

_Not laughing Tom._

_Not a joke Eleanor._

_If you're going to insist on it, you'll have to handcuff me to Aiden instead because I'll kill one of us if I'm stuck with you all day._

_What's going on with you and that foolish little lion?_

_Nothing Tom. Haven't we gone over this about thirty times?_

_Don't lie to me. I can tell something's going on._

_It's nothing. Drop it Tom._

_He's dead when he gets back to Hogwarts, and those handcuffs (to me that is) are looking like a much more attractive idea._

_I have to go Tom. I'll talk to you later tonight, if you're in a better mood._

_You'll talk to me regardless, and you'll be on your way back to Hogwarts tomorrow._

_Never mind, I don't think I will talk to you after all. Have a good day._

* * *

><p>Tom sighs and adjusts his position on the bed yet again. Why is everything in the world so boring? He throws the book he's holding onto the pile of those he's already tired of in the corner. Isn't there anything to do in this bloody castle?<p>

With mischief on his mind, Tom stands and pulls on his cloak. He had grown bored with books, and he had all this anger pent up inside him now that Eleanor was being so difficult again. For Merlin's sake, why would you bring up having a boyfriend _now_? He thought they'd gotten over that as she hadn't mentioned it in the last few months.

Tom Riddle needed a distraction, and he knew just where to look for one. Striding into the library as if searching for another book, he kept an eye out for the distinctive long blonde pigtails of Lillian Abbott. They'd been partners a few times in herbology and Tom had noticed certain qualities of hers that would be ideal for his afternoon treat. Primarily a willingness to take orders and a strong desire to please.

When he spotted her, he finally picked a book quickly off the shelf and sat down at a nearby table. He pretended to read for nearly 15 minutes before walking over to her.

"Excuse me, but may I share this table with you?"

She looks up, confused. "Weren't you just sitting at your own table?"

"Yes, but I was so distracted by your beauty I figured I may as well move closer if all I'm going to accomplish today is staring at you."

She smiles, "Well how could I deny a seat to someone as handsome as you."

Tom smiles back and takes the seat next to her, "What are you up to today Lily?"

"Sadly, nothing seems up to me lately."

"You are quite the wit. I'd love to see what else you can do with that mouth," Tom says, raising an eyebrow. He stands elegantly and begins walking toward the shelves, signaling for her to come with him. She follows. When she rounds the corner, he's leaning against one of shelves. He reaches out for her, tangling his arms around her waist and bowing his lips down to hers. She returns the kiss eagerly. After all, she has been dreaming about this for literally years.

He waits a few minutes for her to get comfortable then gently nudges her downwards, her lips wandering down his neck and chest until she's on her knees. She looks up at him, seemingly hesitant, as he begins to pull his belt loose.

"_Scared_ of going any farther?" he says with a smirk.

She cuts him off. She's heard stories of his exploits, of course. Of other girls in hallways and secret corners. And, like all of them, she wants so badly to be the one he keeps. She didn't want him to think her a prude.

"Of course not. Just checking that no one is around," she says, trying to return a smirk.

He feels himself pop free of his jeans, feels her hand wrapping around it before her tongue reaches out. Tom closes his eyes and tangles her hair in his hands, tilting his head up as a silent sigh escapes his mouth. Just what he needs.

* * *

><p>But even that wasn't enough to help him get his mind off Eleanor for long. By the night time, he was bored again. She hadn't written him. Why wouldn't she write him? It had been a harmless threat, he'd lost control for a mere minute.<p>

Tom was standing atop the astronomy tower thinking about everything while he waited for her to write back. He gave up around curfew and, looking for someone to pick on, started wandering the hallways. Just when he thought he'd found a little Gryffindor fourth-year trying to get back to his common room and started questioning him about why he was out so late, feigning to be in the process of prefect duties, Dumbledore rounded the corner and the Gryffindor scurried off.

"Hello Mr. Riddle. So kind of you to worry about prefect duties, even during the break," Dumbledore says.

"Oh, it's no problem at all professor."

"Is Eleanor feeling all right? I haven't seen her around at all this break."

"She's fine. She isn't at school."

"Ah. It was my understanding that the headmaster had decided it was no longer necessary for her to take time away from Hogwarts.

Tom knew he meant to take time away from him. "She decided she would like a change of scenery."

"I'm sure she's enjoying spending time with her friends."

Stupid Dumbledore thought he knew what was good for Eleanor. If it hadn't been for his daft suggestion, she would still be here. "No, she actually told me she can't wait to get back to Hogwarts."

"That's unfortunate. I heard the Belvedere manor near Windsor was extraordinary, I wonder why she shouldn't be enjoying herself there with Aiden. Perhaps she'll get more comfortable before the new year."

Tom fakes a smile, "She's coming back before Christmas. We always spend Christmas together – it's a tradition."

"It seems as if you two spend nearly every holiday together."

"As you know, Eleanor and I are quite close."

"Yes, I know. Have a good holiday, Mr. Riddle," Dumbledore says, turning. Just as he's about to round the corner again, he looks back. "A word of wisdom for you to consider Tom. There are things you can change and things you cannot, and sometimes you have to let go of the ones you cannot."

Was this ridiculous professor trying to give him advice? Really? He deserved a medal just for holding back an unforgivable. If only Eleanor could see how hard he was trying to be what she wanted.

* * *

><p>The next day, Eleanor was out in Aiden's backyard. She hadn't looked at her journal since the previous morning. George had started a snowball fight, which had evolved into a huge quest for domination between her, George, and Aiden. She was currently hiding at the side of the house, hoping that she would be able to gather a few snowballs before George found her. She had just thrown a snowball straight into his face, and the boy was not happy at all.<p>

Aiden stumbled around the corner, smiling his crooked little half smile that charmed her so well. Nothing awkward had happened since the previous morning, and they had more or less kept physical interaction to a minimum.

"George has gone inside. Taking a break I suppose. Should we surprise him?" Aiden announces before leaning against the wall.

"I've always wanted to build a fort!" She smiles as she thinks about the idea.

30 minutes later, Aiden and Eleanor have built what is basically a roofless igloo. She lays down on the ground, her arms tired from pilling snow. Aiden lays down next to her. Their hands overlap, but he doesn't move.

"Want to make snow angels?" She asks.

He rolls over onto his side and looks at her, smiling, "I don't need to make one. You're my snow angel."

She rolls over too, facing him. "You're such a charmer," she teases.

He moves closer to her. "Only when it's deserved."

She laughs. They lay there for a few more minutes, Aiden looking into her eyes while she tries to avoid his, until they hear the door open. They both hop up and grab the snowballs they made, pelting George with them.

* * *

><p>She's shivering by the time they get back inside. They're all wet from the melted snow and run up to change. When she gets back downstairs, she sees Aiden lighting the fire and George making hot chocolate. She sits down in front of the fire because she still feels cold. She's surprised when Aiden sits behind her, wrapping his arms around her and leaning back against the sofa, but she doesn't say anything in protest.<p>

"Are you sure you want to leave on Monday? Can't you stay for a few more days? At least for Christmas?" Aiden whispers to her.

"I can't. If I could, I would love to."

"Then just stay. Riddle can't get to you while your here."

"You know it isn't that simple Aiden."

"He's a prick."

"Yeah, I know."

"So stay with me instead. He doesn't deserve the chance to ruin your holiday."

"He isn't that bad. At least not to me he isn't."

"I don't want to argue with you Lena. I just want to be able to give you your gift in person on Christmas morning instead of a week later."

"I can't stay past Monday. I promised Tom I would be back. I'm sorry Aiden."

"Then at least be my date to my mother's Christmas ball Saturday night."

She can't help but smile, "Of course. Only problem is I'll have to buy a nice big fancy dress so that I can look half as amazing as you will."

"You could show up in your school robes and still look better than me."

She turns her head to smirk at him, "That is not at all true. Besides, I have to prove to all of the girls there that I deserve to be your date much more than they do so none of them will try to steal you away from me."

His grin nearly makes her swoon, "Don't worry, I wouldn't dare let them."

She laughs and turns back to the fire.

"I can hardly believe it's only just past lunch time," George says, taking a seat on the sofa. "What shall we do for the rest of the day?"

"Apparently, we're going shopping." Aiden says, turning his head to look at George.

"Oh, how dreadfully boring. But I do still have some gifts to buy, so I supposes I'll come along. What do you think Rose will want?"

"Some new clothes, since I'm wearing nearly all of hers," Eleanor jokes.

"How did that happen anyway?" George asks, slightly amused.

Eleanor stares at the fire, trying to keep the tone of her voice lighthearted as she says, "Oh, Riddle stole all of my trunks so I borrowed Rose's stuff. I'll just have to show him by coming back to Hogwarts with a whole closet full of new clothing that he'll absolutely despise."

George laughs, "I fully support that plan. Shall we go?"

* * *

><p>She's shopping for dresses while Aiden and George go off to the bookstore to get something for Rose. As they walk among the shelves, George starts the conversation he's been meaning to have with Aiden since yesterday morning.<p>

"So, when are you finally going to tell her?" George asks, thumbing through one of the numerous large history books displayed in the front of the store.

"Tell who what?" Aiden asks, seeming distracted.

"Tell Eleanor that you're head-over-heels in love with her." George responds, still not looking up at Aiden.

"I'm not in love with her." Alden grunts.

"Are you just telling yourself that so the fact that she's with Tom bloody Riddle doesn't make you quite as depressed?"

"What do you mean she's with Riddle? She is not with Riddle."

"For some reason, it seemed to me that the hickey on her neck when she walked into the train sent the message that she and Riddle were not just friends. That impression may have also been buoyed by the fact that I saw them making out in the snow 20 minutes before that."

"He's just a git who thinks she's with him. Won't let her get ten fucking feet away from him without having a fit."

"And what are you going to do to make her your girl instead?"

Aiden looks down shyly, "I don't think she likes me in that way."

"Well, she very well didn't pull away when you started holding her hand. That certainly means she likes you."

"No, it doesn't. She was probably just trying to be polite."

George actually laughs, "I don't think she would let you get that close to her just out of politeness. You must have noticed how she is around people. She'll barely let me and Rose hug her, and she still calls us her friends. She won't let anyone touch her if she doesn't trust them."

"She doesn't seem to mind Riddle being close to her either," Aiden says bitterly.

"Which is why you should make your move soon. Before we get back to Hogwarts and that git has the chance to stop you."

"It doesn't matter how soon I tell her. I told you, she doesn't like me like that."

"You seem to think so, but you know what I think? I think she may very well be falling in love with you. I saw you two sitting by the fire." George smiles, "You two are really quite perfect together. Which is why you should probably tell her you're in bloody love with her."

"I can't just go right out and tell her. I'll scare her off."

"Then don't say anything. Just kiss her."

"I'm sure that will be an even more surefire way of assuring I never see her again."

"Maybe I'll arrange something myself then, if you're too afraid to tell her." George comments forebodingly.

**Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is a  
>growing up. – James Baldwin<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Ohhh, a cliff hanger ... but not to worry, you won't have to wait long for an update this time! Again, this chapter and the next one haven't been extensively edited, so please excuse any errors and tense inconstancies.

_Please review if you have any questions/comments. And no excuses, because you can submit anonymous reviews! I will also respond to private messages if you have questions. Thank you for reading :)_


	24. Closed Doors and Open Hearts

**No trumpets sound when the important decisions of our life are made.  
>Destiny is made known silently. – Agnes de Mille<strong>

They were all having dinner together, Aiden, George, Eleanor, and Aiden's father and mother. It was the first time Eleanor was having extended contact with Aiden's parents, given that his father had been out working in the Ministry of Magic most of the day and his mother always seemed to be busy running errands or just upstairs in her own rooms. It was actually the first time she had had spoken with Aiden's father since he had picked them all up from the train station. During the first course, she had conducted a lively conversation about age restrictions imposed by the ministry with Aiden's father. They'd went on to debate a few other issues before Aiden's mother helped move the conversation onto a much lighter note, her Christmas ball. She and Eleanor talked about color palettes and food choices with such animation that Aiden barely got a word in during the whole dinner.

As the main entree was being cleared off the table, George reached for his cup of pumpkin juice, in the process accidentally knocking over Eleanor's cup. The juice spilled all over her skirt, turning the black fabric into an odd brown color. George immediately started to apologize, but she just stood and said, "Excuse me, I think I'll go change. No need for apologizes George, it's quite all right. Accidents happen."

Dessert was served before she came back. While Eleanor was gone, Aiden's parents happily chatted with him about what a wonderful girl she was. Aiden blushed and tried to stay as quite as he could. Embarrassed and with George elbowing him lightly in the stomach, he finally stood and said, "I think I'll go check on her."

There were no objections from his mother and father. Out of the corner of his eye, Aiden saw George smirk.

Just as Aiden reached the doorway, the door opened from the other side, revealing Eleanor. They both stood under the doorway, surprised. George suddenly spoke up, "I think you two ought to look up."

Aiden was the first to look up and see the mistletoe hanging above the doorway. He tried to back away, hoping he could just return to his seat. But his mother spoke up next, saying, "Now Aiden, you've got to kiss her. Excuse us Eleanor, the Belvedere's love tradition. One little smooch. All in the holiday spirit."

Aiden looked over at his mother's smiling face. He was horrified to think of what Lena thought of all of this. She probably thought he had done it on purpose.

To his surprise, Lena spoke up, "It's fine. I love tradition too. What do you think Aiden?"

He turned back to her and, without responding to her question, put his hands around her waist. He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, waiting to see if she would react. He could swear he felt his heart jump out of his chest when she began to kiss him back. The kiss was over in less than thirty seconds, but he still felt his lips tingling in response. She half-smiled at him as she returned to her seat.

Aiden came up to her room later that night to apologize for what had happened at dinner. He knocked on the door anxiously as he recalled her face after the kiss.

She yelled out, "Come in." When he walked in, he found her laying on her bed, reading a book. She looked up for a second to see who it was, then scooted over so he would have space to sit near her.

He sat down in the space she offered before saying, "This is a surprise. What are you reading?"

She laughs, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard. A surprise? Why?"

Without being able to control it, he's suddenly smiling back at her, "I don't think I've ever seen you reading anything that isn't a schoolbook. Beedle the Bard? Aren't those children's stories? My mother used to read them to me when I was little."

She looks away from him, staring down at the comforter under her instead, "Well, not everyone had a mother to read to them."

"I'm sorry I brought that up."

"No, it's fine. You should be able to mention your mother around me."

"So no one ever read to you when you were little?"

"Tom read to me sometimes. He's a few months older than me and he learned to read first. We didn't have any wizard stories, so the first time I read this book was the summer before first year. But it's nice anyway you know, reading these stories now and remembering what it was like to be little. This is what I read when I need a little bit of an escape."

"Sounds like a good idea. Maybe I should start rereading my copy."

She sits up, facing Aiden, before saying, "So, what did you first come here to talk about?"

He's suddenly nervous, "I … I just wanted to apologize for what happened tonight. I swear I had no clue about that. It was probably just George's idea of a joke."

She laughs, "It's fine Aiden. I didn't mind. Just don't mention it to anyone at school, okay? You know how Riddle is."

He smiles, "You didn't mind that I kissed you?"

"Of course not Aiden. It was just a silly tradition." She smirks, "I hope you didn't mind that you had to kiss me."

He can't help but laugh, "I don't think any guy at Hogwarts would mind kissing you if they had the chance."

They'd joked for a while about how attractive they each were, and then George had entered the room wondering what all the noise was about and carrying a game of wizard chess, which they had played for about an hour before Aiden's mom brought them hot chocolate. At first, they quietly sipped away. Then George got his hands on the whipped cream and, on a substantial sugar high, decided they should play a game of truth or dare.

"Lena! Truth or Dare?" George yelled as he started the game.

"Umm...I don't think this is a good idea." Eleanor replied.

"Oh, come on! We're teenagers, we aren't supposed to have good ideas! Truth or Dare?" George responded with a smile.

"Fine, truth." She said.

"On a one to ten scale, how good of a kisser is Aiden?" George asked with a smirk.

She giggled, "I kissed him for like ten seconds. Can't really judge from just that, but I'd estimate about a 6."

"A 6!" Aiden said, "I think I deserved at least a 7.

"My turn to ask a question, right?" Eleanor says, "Aiden, truth or dare?"

"Truth. You are a Slytherin after all, so I probably don't want to do any of the dares you would come up with," Aiden jokes.

"How good of a kisser am I?" Eleanor replies with a smirk.

Aiden laughs, "Like you said, not a very long kiss, but I'd have to say 7."

She smiles at him, "Just so you know, I totally deserve a 10."

Aiden chuckles, "Maybe we'll see about that. George, truth or dare?"

"I'll be the brave one and go for dare." George replies playfully.

"Send an owl to Rose saying that you love her." Aiden says, smirking.

George says, "She has a boyfriend, you dolt."

"All the more exciting," Aiden says, still smirking. He's suspected that George likes Rose for some time now, and this is the perfect way to force a conversation between them about it and get a little revenge on George for hanging the mistletoe in the dinning room.

Aiden gets up and grabs a pen and parchment from his room. George starts writing the note. As he's signing his name, Eleanor says, "My owl's free if you'd like."

"Not planning to send any love letters to Riddle tonight?" George teases.

She blushes and responds sharply, "Not planning to send any love letters to him ever."

After attaching the letter to Eleanor's owl and sending it away, George smiles, saying, "It's my turn now, isn't it? Truth or dare Eleanor?"

"I'll take truth again to be safe," She responds calmly as they all sit down again.

"I think I've come up with a great question that Aiden, Rose, and I have been wondering about for quite a while. What's the closest that you and Riddle have ever gotten to having sex? I mean, he is a notorious playboy and all..."

She blushes, "We never had sex."

"But I've heard rumors that you two sleep in the same bed." George prods.

"I _sometimes _sleep in his room," Eleanor says, bitting her lip and looking down in embarrassment. She looks over at Aiden and notices how uncomfortable, almost angry, he seems. "My turn, right? George, truth or dare?"

"I guess I'll do dare again this time, because there probably can't be a worse dare than the one Aiden just gave me.

She smirks, "Strip down to your boxers, turn some music on, and do a dance routine for the whole song. Aiden, you do have a camera and a music player, right?"

Aiden actually laughs, "Of course. I'll just go and fetch it."

Five minutes later, George finishes up gyrating to a Weird Sisters song. Aiden and Eleanor were laughing the entire time while snapping pictures every few seconds. George sits down, also chuckling, and starts viewing the photos.

"I think these will make a wonderful gift for Rose," Aiden teases.

Eleanor sees a faint blush spring up on George's cheeks. She laughs and picks one up, "I think I'll keep this one for myself. That way I can show everyone how sexy my Gryfindor faux-boyfriend is."

They play a few more rounds, though these often contain funny dares or random questions. Around 11, George leaves to go to bed. She and Aiden lay on her bed, talking about anything that comes to mind.

Suddenly, Aiden says, "Has Riddle ever said he loves you?"

"Of course not. We're just friends." She responds calmly despite the fact that she's lying.

"I don't know any other friends who kiss."

"He's very … physical with me. It's like he has to let everyone know that he's my best friend and he gets to do whatever he wants with me."

"I still don't get the kissing … plus the way he fucking holds you when you're in public. He always has his arm wrapped around you or he's always holding your hand, like he's afraid you'll run away."

"He wants everyone to know I belong to him. He likes to physically show his control over me, so that no one else will bother getting in the way. He knows I hate it. Sometimes he does it just because of that, just to embarrass me."

"Why would you want to be friends with someone who tries to make you follow their every order? It just seems pretty horrible to me, I don't understand why you don't find it appalling that he think he can control you."

"Sometimes I do. But it's hard. I feel like it's something I already accepted a long time ago. Like turning my back on him for it now would be like breaking some promise I mean, that's the way he is, I knew that all along."

"So why did you become friends with him in the first place?"

"We were kids. When we got really close, I had just become old enough to realize that I had lost my parents. He was the only person I'd spent any time with since that happened. I kind of needed that. I needed someone who would carry me through. And, in so many ways, Tom did."

"So why do you still stick around? Why don't you just stop talking to him?"

"He's the Slytherin king. He needs a queen, and it's easy for him to make me play that role. You think he would take it well if I just stopped being his friend? He would find a few Slytherins who were willing to force me back to him, push me to my knees, and make me beg for him not to hurt me. He'd find a way to keep me his forever. Those were his exact words one time I told him I was tired of it."

"I won't let him. I'll protect you." Aiden says softly.

"I'm not a Slytherin, he can't convince me to worship his every word. And I'm strong enough to fight back."

She actually laughs, "Fight back against Tom? What would you do, break his wand?"

Aiden scowls, "I know that not all of us Hogwarts boys can receive high marks in every class, leading them to get an outstanding on every single O.W.L, while being a handsome prefect who rules a whole house and all, but you may want to take note that the rest of us can all do pretty passable magic too."

She suddenly realizes that he's hurt, "Oh, I didn't mean that as an insult. I just meant that Tom fights dirty, he's not going to just let you fire curses at him or anything. And, even if he can't curse you or punch you, he can still mess with your mind. He isn't one to just let something go, or to let anyone beat him."

Aiden turns over to whisper to her, "I hate the fact that you're friends with him."

"I know, but Aiden … please don't bring this up again. There's no way I can stop being friends with Tom. Honestly, I don't really want to. I still have some stupid hope that he really is the same Tom Riddle I knew when we were eleven years old and any minute now he'll snap out of this foul mood. Besides, Tom is the only person who has always been there for me, and I can't just suddenly not be there for him."

Aiden just nods, staring down at her petite frame. He can still see the hickeys Riddle left on her neck and he can still see the scars on her wrist where Riddle's spells had ripped her apart. He finally blinks and tries to wipe his mind clean, tries not to focus on the fact that George was right when he said that she was with Tom bloody Riddle.

"Can I sleep here?" Aiden says jokingly, moving closer to her on the bed.

She smirks, "Not sure how your mom would react to that."

He chuckles, "Want to walk me to my room then?"

She agrees. He takes her hand as they exit her room, and they hold hands all the way to his door. She's about to leave when he pulls her in and then shuts the door behind them. He pushes her against the door, pressing his lips to hers again.

When he pulls away to take a breath she asks, "Another mistletoe?"

He shakes his head before leaning in to rest his forehead against hers.

"Then why did you do that?" She whispers

"Because I wanted to," he answers, touching his lips to hers again.

"Aiden, you know I can't …"

"I know. I don't have any expectations. I just like you. And I wanted to kiss you. So I did. No need to make things any more complicated than they already are, right?"

She smiles faintly, "I like you too, but …"

"Do we really have to worry about all that right now? I just want to kiss you and not think about him, not be jealous of him. I just want you to be mine for once, finally, for at least a few days. You have no clue how long I've waited to do that. The second I met you on the pitch in fourth year … anyway, we're here. It can just be the two of us. None of that's going to be a problem right now."

She leans up on her tiptoes to kiss him, "Goodnight."

Aiden grabs her, pulling her back. He can't tell how she feels, and he's afraid he lost her forever. He looks just as apprehensive as he is as he says, "Can you please stay?"

"Tomorrow. I have work I need to finish tonight," Eleanor lets him embrace her, seeing the worried look on his face. "Remember, I like you."

He finally lets her go, grabbing her hand and holding onto it until her fingers slip away from his as she's walking. He watches her walk down the hall before he closes the door and gets ready for bed, a grin on his face.

She decides to pull out the journal and speak to Tom. She's sure he'll be up even though it's a few minutes past midnight. If she doesn't speak to him soon, he may get really angry, and he'll already be angry enough if he learns about what happened today. She curls up in bed before taking out the journal and a quill. When she first opens it, she's surprised to see there's no new writing from Tom.

She thinks that maybe he is asleep after all, so she just writes one word.

_Goodnight._

She's about to close the journal again when Tom's handwriting begins to appear.

_Don't think you can avoid me that easily. I want a detailed explanation of what you were doing the last two days that was so important that you couldn't even write one word to me, and I want it now._

_It's not that I have been busy. I've just been mad at you for that handcuff comment._

_Tell me what you've been doing today. Now._

_We had a snowball fight, we went shopping, we had dinner at Aiden's house, and we stayed up for a while talking._

_Talking? I'm not stupid Eleanor._

_Tom, seriously, there's nothing for you to worry about._

_You mean other than the fact that you seem to be attracted to that disgusting lion?_

_You are so jealous Tom._

_I notice you didn't deny it._

_Yes, I am attracted to a nice, funny, rich, strong, good looking, quidditch player. What a shame. I must be out of my mind._

_Do not get sarcastic with me Ellie. Don't forget that he is in Gryfindor._

_Right, total deal breaker. That must make him a complete git. Oh, wait, that would only apply if he was in Slytherin. Never mind, I suppose he is perfect after all._

_You might as well cross out the good looking part from your previous statement. All the curses I 'm planning to throw at him will probably destroy his pretty little face._

_Don't you dare Tom._

_Why? What are you going to do to stop me Elle?_

_I know I can't stop you, but I can stop speaking to you._

_Elle, I've known you nearly all of your life. I know when you're bluffing. And I know when you're lying. What happened between you and the stupid lion?_

_Nothing happened Tom._

_I told you, I know when you're lying. Tell me, otherwise I'll assume the worst._

_It was nothing Tom. _

_Fine, don't tell me. I'll punish him for everything I believe could have happened._

She knew letting Tom's imagination run wild was actually better in this case. Telling him the truth would probably lead him to attempt to severely injure Aiden. He might simply kill Aiden on the spot. Maybe Tom suspected that they'd flirted or went out on a date, but she knew he wouldn't think she'd actually let Aiden kiss her.

_Tom, can we please stop arguing? This is pointless. If you're really just going to yell at me about this, I may as well go to sleep right now._

_Fine. I miss you._

_Please tell me you actually did something other than stay inside all day._

_I took a walk outside, but this place feels empty without you. There's absolutely nothing to do. I read a few more books and wandered around the halls and that was all. _

_Four more days._

_If you come back tomorrow, I promise I will treat you like a queen for the rest of the holidays. _

_I can't Tom. You know I can't._

_Please darling._

_I'm sorry. We'll spend every hour of the rest of break together when I come back. We'll do whatever you want._

_What if all I want is to lay in bed with you all day?_

_I'll be quite bored, but I did say anything. And I'll be there for your birthday too, so you'll have even more control over what we do that day. What kind of present do you want?_

_I just want you._

_Tom, I will be there anyway. That is not a present._

_I don't care what my present is, as long as you're there to give it to me. I miss you. The worst part is that I keep waking up and expecting to see you. That ruins my day right away._

_I'll be back soon._

_Not soon enough for me._

_You know what they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder._

_For me, distance makes the heart hurt like hell._

_You'll be fine Tom._

_Hopefully. If I wasn't, I would never get to see you again._

_You're making such a big deal about this. It's only one week._

_Seems like at least a month._

_It's getting very late. I'm tired. I promise to speak to you again tomorrow._

_Tomorrow morning, at 8?_

_Okay._

_I love you darling._

_Goodnight._

_Goodnight. I wish I could kiss you._

_You'll be able to kiss me as much as you'd like in four days._

She yawns as she closes the journal and lays down. Her eyes close, but her brain is still working, thinking about Tom. It's odd that he's acting like this. He usually wasn't one to admit to his feelings. If he was missing her, he'd usually yell at her about how busy she was and interrogate her to find out why she was ignoring him. Perhaps he was being nice because he knew that, if she decided she wanted to stay with Aiden for the entire break, he had no way of making her come back to Hogwarts.

**Show me a hero, and I will write you a tragedy. – F. Scott Fitzgerald**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Again, this chapter has not been extensively edited, so please excuse any errors and tense inconstancies. I hope you enjoyed these last three chapters as much as I enjoyed writing them – it really was a joy to get back to this fic!

I am not going to make any promises about when this will be updated again, other then saying that the rest of the holiday period is in the works currently and the events for a little while after that have already been written up, so it will hopefully be quicker since I don't need to stress about how to arrive at major plot points.

_Please review if you have any questions/comments. And no excuses, because you can submit anonymous reviews! I will also respond to private messages if you have questions. Thank you for reading :)_


	25. Mirror, mirror on the wall

**No matter what they wish for, no matter how far they go, people can never be anything but themselves. That's all. – Haruki Murakami**

Eleanor wakes with a start. She'd forgotten something. She'd forgotten something very important, and now Aiden was going to get hurt because she'd let herself be stupid for a few minutes.

Tom's legilimency.

He'd been practicing for over two years now. He rarely ever used it on her, for obvious reasons. But if he was angry enough about this, about not knowing what she'd been doing for the week, she could see him resorting to it. And, well, she knew he wouldn't be happy with the results.

Half shaking, Eleanor climbs out of bed and grabs her robe. Despite knowing she shouldn't bother him, she paces along the hallway until she gets to Aiden's room. She finds him still awake, reading on the bed, and he can see the trails of tears still fresh on her face.

"What's wrong?" He whispers as she sits down next to him.

"Tom's going to know and … I just don't want him to hurt you," she mumbles, head sinking into his shoulder.

"How would he know?"

"Legilimency."

"Shh, darling," he lifts her head up, kissing her forehead. "My father thought me occlumency – part of the requirements for his job – so I'll just teach it to you. We'll practice. It will be fine."

"No. No, it won't be. Things are never fine."

"We will figure it out, okay love? But the best time to think about this probably isn't two in the morning. Go back to sleep."

"I can't."

Aiden looks frustrated again. He hates this so much, hates that prick and the way he treats her. "Why are you still friends with him if you're this afraid of him?"

Eleanor looks up, clear-eyed again. "Sometimes, people are worth standing by. Not because of the things they do or don't do but because of who they are to you. Because they are more to you than they are to anyone else. It's the potential that makes you stay. And, well, I don't know if that's good or not good, because I know that you shouldn't take things you don't deserve from people. But I also know you shouldn't give up on them. So that's it, for me, that's all that matters – I'm not giving up on Tom."

"We will make it work. Do you want to read a book with me until we fall asleep? It's about house elf rebellions – a truly captivating subject for you, I am sure."

She laughs and cuddles up closer to him. "Sure."

* * *

><p>Tom knows he needs a grand gesture. He needs something more than that actually. He needs a grand day – a grand week, in fact. Something to show her that he is the right one. Something to show her he has changed. Something to show her that he loves her.<p>

He knows what he wants to do, and what he would have done in the past. Interrogate her as soon as she stepped off the train. Use legilimency to see what she had done. Perhaps sulk over it for a day or two, or curse her and tell her she couldn't see that stupid lion he hated so much ever again.

But he knows he can't do that, because that would prove right all the poisonous things he was sure that little lion was saying to her right at this very moment. It would prove he was spiteful and vindictive and cruel and didn't deserve her love.

He had been so close. For those few blissful weeks before this whole holiday ordeal, he had believed he had nearly convinced her to love him. She had kissed him and woken up by him and trusted him again. It hadn't made it impossible, but the whole affair had certainly made it harder – and now he knows he has to act quickly, before the kitten gets his paws in her and makes her turn her back on him again. He doesn't have time to wait anymore. He has to make her realize that he is the one before school starts again.

So, of course, he can't even question what she has done. He can't be jealous or angry. He just needs to focus on being happy – happy to see her again in just a few days.

* * *

><p>Eleanor stares at herself in the mirror, pulling at her dress. She was nervous about what these people would think of her. After all, this was her first real foray into wizarding high society. Would they recognize her name? Would they mention her parents? Would they have known her, when she was younger? Her father had worked at the ministry after all, just like Aiden's father, and they were bound to know some of the same people.<p>

For a minute, she contemplated asking Aiden not to use her last name. Perhaps that would make it better, or perhaps make her at least a bit less nervous. But of course they would know who she was without anyone ever mentioning her name; she looked too much like her mother for people not to figure it out.

She wondered what they would all say when they learned what had happened to her; how they would react if they found out she had been in an orphanage. They undoubtedly wouldn't like her; after all, purity was everything here, and though her name may be the purest in the group, her upbringing certainly hadn't been. What if they really didn't like her? What if they laughed at her for trying to fit in? What if Aiden was embarrassed by her? Perhaps she ought not to go. Perhaps she ought to take off this pretty dress and go buy herself a broom and then fly back to Hogwarts, where she at least felt like she belonged.

This was ridiculous, she told herself. It hadn't been her fault at all that her parents had died, so surely no one could blame her for her upbringing. Besides, everyone she had met that knew her heritage had been understanding; even apologetic that no one from the wizarding world had taken her in. She was the purest of them all. Everyone in her family tree was a pureblood who had married a pureblood; she had no dark spots in her family history like many of the people who would attend the ball. She was the date of the descendent of one of the oldest surviving English wizarding families. If anyone downstairs even questioned her purity, it would be almost laughable.

But, even after reassuring herself of that, she still felt like she didn't belong in the stunning dark blue evening gown she was wearing. She felt like all of this pomp and glamour was pretentious, as if she was trying to be someone who she wasn't. She would normally never wear crystal pins in her hair or paint her nails or put on lipstick.

Eleanor stared at the mirror with a feeling very much like contempt, wondering who she had become since she had entered Hogwarts. She had been so busy trying to please Tom, who was her oldest friend, and then trying to please Aiden, who she had to admit she fancied more than any other boy she'd ever met, and then trying to please Rose, who was her only female friend, and then trying to please Dumbledore, who had allowed her to come to the only place that truly felt like home to her. She wondered if she could do it anymore, be the person that each of these people thought she was. The obedient servant, the clever girlfriend (or whatever she and Aiden were, she wasn't quite sure what label to put on it at this point), the funny friend, the model student; those were too many roles for one person to play.

She hated the way she acted around Tom, the way she let him manipulate her, the things she let him do to her body, and the fact that she always hoped that he would go back to being the shy child she had met on her first day at the orphanage. She hated the fact that she always had to hide things from Aiden, hated the fact that he would never understand or approve, and hated the way she felt like she would never be a good enough person for him.

But most of all, she hated her own personality, hated to look at herself in the mirror. She was a whore for letting Tom do whatever he wanted to her. She was a liar for not admitting to Aiden what she did with Tom, because somehow she still felt as if she was cheating on the both of them. She was a manipulative witch, because she knew how to use both of them so well, how to juggle the both of them and control their reactions. She had every quality that the sorting hat had told her made her a Slytherin – and she was so good at hiding who she really was that even Tom didn't know what a Slytherin she was.

She took one last look at her own face in the mirror, examining those gleaming eyes, staring into the eternal emptiness that was her soul and seeing only loathing and fear and loneliness and inadequacy. That void could not be filled, no matter how much her heart wrenched with her own self-hate, and no matter how much she tried to with the friendship of Tom and the affections of Aiden and the lust of all the boys who took second looks at her.

Perhaps it was all because her parents had died and left her all alone, with a gaping hole in her heart that would never go away because nothing and no one was enough to make her feel beautiful and smart and worthy for more than a few seconds. After all, if her parents had left her vulnerable, why wouldn't everyone else? Why would anyone want to stay with such a despicable human being as her, who was willing to do anything to satisfy her own wants without thinking of anyone else? And after all the things she had, all the dresses and books and stupid little toys, she knew that buying something would only temporarily give her the feeling she wanted.

She should just throw it all away and leave everyone she knew and start again. She never felt any better when she was alone, but at least that way she wouldn't have to worry about others. Somehow, sitting alone and facing the emptiness inside of her and knowing that she would never be better was as much peace as she could ever achieve.

Her concentration faltered as the door opened. She looked away from the mirror suddenly, suppressing the urge to break it. She put back on her half-smile, her shining eyes, her wild spirit, and looked over at the man who had entered.

"You look perfect. Like a doll," Aiden said as he walked in, dressed in his suit and ready to walk her down so that they could dance the first dance along with his parents.

Eleanor flinched. Malfoy used to call her that. Tom sometimes did. She knew he wouldn't approve of any of this, of how she looked, or the fact that Aiden was her date, or the fact that she was going to go downstairs and pretend she was the demure, well-mannered, soft-spoken girl she really never had been. But Tom never approved of her fully, so this was just one more blow to add to her aching heart.

Outwardly, Eleanor blushed and pretended to be fixing her hair. "No, I do not. My hair just won't stay up."

Aiden stood behind her and whispered, "Then leave it down. I like it better like that anyway."

He reached for her hair clip and pulled it down. She felt more like herself now; she could deal with the few crystals still pinned near her ears. Suddenly, she felt his arms wrap around her. For a moment she felt better, wrapped in his warm hold. She knew this didn't make any of it better, she still felt empty inside, but somehow this made it okay – to at least have him touching her, to know that he felt something beyond friendship for her. To feel that someone was very much attracted to her, to feel wanted … it made things that much better. Tom had never made her feel better, not really – he was an orphan like her, he too was abandoned, he too was empty. Tom only had her, and she hated the kind of commitment he wanted. She did not want to be some caged bird forever singing the same song.

"You look beautiful," Aiden whispered to her, his lips grazing her earlobe.

She pulled away ever so slightly, though she did miss the high of his touch, "After the party Aiden. We wouldn't want any rumors, would we?"

"Actually, I'd quite love if every bloke in the room got the impression that you were my girlfriend. Perhaps they would stay away from you then."

She heard the tension in his voice as he spoke. In an effort to lighten the mood, she chuckled and said, "Well, if I look as amazing as you say I do, I doubt that would keep them away for long. I suppose you'll just have to stay by my side to make sure I don't wander off with any other boys."

"Now that sounds like something I could do."

* * *

><p>She was still in her gown as they leaned against the balcony of his room. She's gazing out at the sky, but she notices his hand meet hers as his fingers stroke her skin gently.<p>

"So, what happens next?" He asks quietly, "I mean, after we get back to Hogwarts. Can it be like this there too?"

He moves his hand around her waist so that he can pull her closer. She can't help but to rest her head on his shoulder and sigh before she says, "Do we have to talk about this? Can't we just enjoy the night in silence?"

He turns so that he can press his lips to her forehead softly, "We have to talk about it before you leave. And, seeing as you're leaving early tomorrow morning, I can't see when else we can talk about it."

"But I don't know what to say," Eleanor says, frowning.

He looked at her, his eyes soft, "Well, what do you think? Can we be like this at Hogwarts too? I would really like it if we could."

"I don't think … Tom would never approve."

"He isn't your father. You don't need his approval."

"But he's the closest thing I've got to family. I don't know if it would be practical for us to continue like this at Hogwarts. You know how people are about Slytherin and Gryffindor. We'd be the target of everyone's insults. I don't know if I could handle that."

"You are just making excuses now darling," Aiden says.

"No, I am not. You know it will be like that."

"So you don't want to be my girlfriend?"

She blushes, "I believe I do – but I don't know if I can."

"What do you mean?"

"You know how Tom is."

"Can't we just act like he doesn't exist for the rest of the time you are here?"

"We will, right after this conversation. Tom would never stand for it – I mean, me being your girlfriend. And you know how he is with me. Could you stand that?"

"Stand what?"

She blushes, "Him kissing me."

"Well, that would have to stop of course."

She shakes her head, "I can't stop him. Can't we just continue like this, without having to label it?"

"I'm afraid that would create quite a lot of confusion once we returned to Hogwarts – see, I want you to be my girlfriend, but it doesn't seem like you are quite as committed."

"I'd love to be your girlfriend, I really would. But you know it couldn't work – at least not like we wanted it too."

"I think we could make it work. If we were willing to deal with a few unhappy people," Aiden comments hopefully, "I don't need an answer tonight. Please just think about it."`

* * *

><p>When Eleanor steps onto the train platform the next day, she very nearly laughs. Or does she feel like crying? She isn't quite sure really, just as she isn't quite sure whether the dozens and dozens of roses pilling up on all sides of her are romantic or ridiculous.<p>

There, amidst all the yellow and white blossoms, stands Tom with one bouquet of red roses in his hands.

Eleanor steps toward him, shaking her head in disbelief. To her surprise, the only word she can manage is, "Tom."

He extends the bouquet to her with a flourish and a genuine smile. "They're your first gift."

She laughs, "It's only Christmas Eve."

"I thought we could start celebrating early this year."

"How did you do all of this?" She's shocked. He looks silly to all the starring passerby, students coming back to study for OWLs and teachers ready to prepare lesson plans, and Tom hates looking silly or drawing unwanted attention.

"Magic, of course," Tom says, smirking. She moves closer to him. Tom actually dodges her kiss, hugging her tightly instead. Not yet. It had to mean something more when the time came.

**Somewhere deep down we know that in the final analysis we do decide things and that even our decisions to let someone else decide are really our decisions. – Harvey Cox**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** I think this is a pretty short and disjointed chapter compared to the ones I usually write, but it was meant to be more of an introspective look so I decided to post it anyway rather than waiting until I had the next part together. I realized I hadn't really written that much from Eleanor's point of view and I wanted to convey her characterization more.

I know it was a bit of a wait again – finals and finding a new apartment consumed my time for the last month or so. I will be moving over the next week and working on the next chapter of 1100 Silver Coins (my other Tom Riddle/OC story), so I won't be updating for at least another week or two.

_Please review if you have any questions/comments. I'm also still trying to flush out ideas of things Tom can do to win over Eleanor, so if you have any feel free to send me a message or leave a review and I will take them into consideration! And no excuses, because you can submit anonymous reviews! Thank you for reading :)_


	26. Confessions, Deceptions

**We are like sculptors, constantly carving out of others the image we long for, need, love or desire, often against reality, against their benefit, and always, in the end, a disappointment, because it does not fit them. – Anais Nin**

"Do you mind if I go see Rose really quick?" Eleanor asks as she puts her trunks down on the floor of Tom's room.

Eleanor is expecting Tom to say no, to remind her that that girl is the entire reason she was able to leave him for so long. She wouldn't really blame him for being possessive this time – he has just been sitting in the castle alone for the last week after all.

"You can go if you like. I'll bring your laundry down to the house elves and get you something to snack on," Tom says while taking off his coat.

She looks over at him as she's changing, her confusion obvious on her face. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all Elle," Tom says, managing to maintain a neutral expression.

"Actually, I'm too tired from the journey," she says, laying down on his bed. "I'll visit her later. Can you help me sleep?"

He chuckles as he lays down next to her, "And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

Eleanor moves closer to Tom and wraps her arms around him, "By being here to keep me safe."

"Always dear," he whispers, kissing her forehead.

* * *

><p>When she wakes up, he's still there next to her, staring down at her with a slight smile on his face, except her laundry has been taken down to the elves and there's warm tea and cookies waiting for her on the nightstand.<p>

"You really are magical," Eleanor says with a small yawn.

"You just figured that out?" Tom says back with a smirk.

Eleanor gets up to have a snack, sitting on the edge of the bed and watching Tom looking through the papers on his desk.

"What is this?" She asks as she picks up a small box laying next to her tea.

"It's a gift. Didn't I tell you we were celebrating early this year?"

She picks up the silver necklace inside and stares at the pendant, an emerald encrusted key. "You really didn't need to."

"I know I didn't need to. I think it's finally my turn to give you the Christmas you deserve," Tom says, looking up at her with a smile.

"I know this is going to sound cliche, but all I wanted for Christmas was you anyway," Eleanor says, throwing her arms around his neck from behind. Tom frowns and moves her arms aside gently, getting up to fix his tie in the mirror. She sees the hurt look on his face and knows what it's about right away. "Tom…"

"You always say things that aren't true," he says, refusing to look her in the eyes.

"I thought we talked about this. I thought you were over it."

"I'm not mad that you left. Just don't lie to me about what you want."

"I'm not lying, Tom. I couldn't imagine a Christmas without you."

"If you say so Elle," he says brusquely, reaching for the book on his nightstand.

"If you don't believe me, I can't make you take my word for it," she says with a sigh. "At least tell me what you really want for Christmas."

"I already told you, I don't want anything."

"There has to be something."

He walks away from her again, this time shuffling the papers on his desk. "I don't want anything. Stop asking."

"Just go ahead and tell me, I don't care what it is," Eleanor says, following him over.

He turns around quickly, sweeping the pile of papers to the ground in the process. He looks annoyed as he yells, "I wanted you, ok? That was all I wanted, for you to stay here Elle. You know that. You knew that before you left. You didn't give it to me, so stop asking."

Eleanor is standing there, surprised by the outburst. They both remain still for a minute before Tom walks toward her.

"I'm sorry. I promised myself I wouldn't bring that up," she's still looking down, clearly ashamed. He puts two fingers under her chin, lifting her head up so she is looking at him, "I know you wanted to go. I hope you had fun. I'm just happy you're back here now, and we are going to enjoy the two weeks that we do have."

"No, I'm sorry. I was being selfish again. I left you here, alone, and I didn't think about how that would hurt you," she whispers, touching his face. "I'm sorry. I promise it will never happen again."

Tom manages to suppress a smirk. The sad act always works on her. And now that she feels guilty about leaving, he knows she will automatically forgive him for the times he got angry while they wrote to each other.

* * *

><p>Rose was always the one smart enough not to pick sides, not to declare her hatred for Tom Riddle with absolute conviction. She knew that was not what would be best for Eleanor, so she simply never brought him up. Rose didn't hate him. If anything, she understand what it was like to be overlooked by someone you love.<p>

So when Tom Riddle walked up to her and asked if she'd like to sit with him and Eleanor at dinner that night, Rose reacted with appropriate suspicion but not anger. After all, she had been the one who had participated in that whole ball plan – why would he want to have dinner with her? When pushed for an explanation, Tom had just said that he was trying to be more understanding, and he knew that Eleanor would miss her other friends after being gone for the entire week. He was sure they had a lot to catch up on.

Needless to say, Eleanor was also surprised when Rose sat down across from her and said hi to Tom. After everyone moved past the initial shock, they'd had quite a pleasant dinner – the three of them had even joked about professors and classes together.

Eleanor was even more pleasantly surprised when she walked into Tom's room to discover a small Christmas tree in the corner.

"What is that?" She asked, smiling as she bent down to touch it's leaves.

"I remembered you said you always wanted to decorate your own tree, so I got one for you. It's a bit small but I think all our gifts will fit under it," Tom responded. "There's a box of ornaments right there if you want to start decorating. I am going to go fetch us some hot chocolate, alright dove?"

"No, that is not alright," Eleanor says with a huff. He raises an eyebrow at her and she runs up to him, tackling him to the ground with a hug. "You are not giving me a proper chance to thank you."

She's leaning over him now, straddling him, and he can think of very many naughty things he'd like to do to her. Too bad he knows he can't, not just yet at least.

She leans down, her lips almost on his, "You are marvelous."

He knows he can't resist if she kisses him, knows the taste of her lips will be a marvel he can't let go of again. So Tom turns around, flipping her under him. He allows his lips to graze her neck, just barely, as he whispers to her, "No, you are, my angel."

* * *

><p>Eleanor wakes up to a pile of boxes under the tree. She had taken out her gifts for Tom last night and placed them below it, but it's obvious he's gotten up during the night to add to the pile. She tries nudging Tom awake, then finally rolls on top of him and starts poking his chest.<p>

"Leave me alone," Tom mutters, pulling her pillow over his head.

"Wake up lazy," Eleanor says as she tries to tug the pillow away from him.

"I want to sleep more," he moans.

"Get up or I will tickle you," she threatens, finally getting the pillow out of his hands and throwing it on the floor.

"You wouldn't dare," he says, opening one eye halfway. "Go back to bed."

"I don't want to," she huffs. "I want to open presents now, so_ get up_."

"No."

"Come on."

"Nope."

"I'm going to do it."

"You wouldn't dare."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

Eleanor reaches down and starts tickling Tom's stomach, keeping a hold on him as he starts to squirm. He starts tickling her too until she's wriggling around on top of him and laughing. In her weakened state, Tom finally manages to take Eleanor's hands and flip them over, immobilizing her beneath him.

"Look what you did, now I'm much too awake to stay in bed," Tom mutters, staring down at her with soft eyes. "How are you going to make that up to me?"

"I'll let you open your presents first," Eleanor says.

They manage to make it through the pile in time to catch the end of breakfast. Tom gives her a scarf, notebook, spell-checking quill, and two-way mirror. She gets him his own wizard's chess set, a moleskin pouch and a pair of omnioculars. After breakfast, he tells her they are going on an adventure. They wander out into the forbidden forest, Eleanor incessantly asking him where they are going. Tom doesn't answer, telling her that it will be just a while longer every time she asks.

"Close your eyes," Tom says, standing behind her and moving his hands over her eyes. "It has to be a surprise."

She giggles, "It is, I have no clue where we've been walking for the last half hour!"

When he finally moves his hands down to her waist and nudges her to open her eyes, she sees the greatest waterfall ever. It's filling up a small lake with it's glittering blue waters and there's a big oak tree towering over the lake next to her.

Tom smiles at her, "You should touch the tree."

She reaches out tentatively, running a hand over its aged bark. The second she does, the tree's leaves turn a shockingly bright pink.

He laughs when she jumps away, "It changes color according to your mood, see?"

Tom touches the tree and its leaves turn blue.

"This is amazing," Eleanor says, looking around. "How did you find this place?"

Tom shrugs, "Just stumbled upon it one day. You know what the best part is? The water is always warm."

"So that's why you told me to bring my bathing suit!"

* * *

><p>They head back to the castle as the sun is almost setting, wrapped up in their coats and scarves again. He tells her to go up and get ready – he'll send her a letter when she should head down for the Christmas dinner. Eleanor is confused by this but follows his instructions, heading up to his room and changing into an embroidered silk dress. She gets the letter from him just as the clock strikes seven, except it doesn't instruct her to go down to the great hall – she's to meet him on the north tower instead. Still wondering what he could possibly have planned now, she embarks.<p>

Tom fiddles with the gift box as he waits at the top of the tower. He doesn't know if this will work. For once, he doesn't know how she'll react. It scares him nearly to death to be taking this leap, but he knows he has to. He has to get her before that little lion can.

"Tom, what is the mean…" Eleanor exclaims as she's climbing up the last few steps. She stops, struck by silence, as she takes in the scene. Tom is standing, all dressed up, in the middle of the tower. Behind him, there's a table laid out with their supper. Candles float around the tower, illuminating the scene.

"I told you, I thought you deserved something special this year," he says, taking her hand and leading her up to the table.

She finally let's go of the breath she was holding, still looking around, "You really didn't have to do all of this."

"I wanted to," Tom says simply.

They eat, nearly in silence. Tom's too nervous to speak. He strutters when she tries to start conversation. She just smiles gently and holds his hand across the table. As they finish their dessert, he finally speaks up.

"I wanted to give you your last gift," Tom says, picking up the box that has been sitting below his chair this entire time.

That gentle smile is still on Eleanor's face, "You've already given me more than enough Tom."

"Just open it, ok?" He says, smirking at her.

Eleanor unwraps the present carefully. Tom feels as if he is stuck to his chair as she pulls at the bow, then folds back the wrapping paper. Finally, he stands, his energy overtaking him as she pulls the ornate jewel-encrusted gold box out. She looks at it for a few seconds before a bemused look comes to her face.

"There isn't a key."

"It's your necklace."

He can't look at her. He's too afraid to see her expression. What if she doesn't like it? Eleanor finally manages to crack the box open and finds pictures of them inside. She stares down at the stack of moving photos, smiling as she flips through it.

Eleanor finally stands too, stopping mere inches from him near the edge of the balcony. He's still looking away, too afraid she'll meet his eyes and be scared by the raw emotion in them. She brings her hand up to his face gently, turning his head around. "Thank…"

"There's something I have to tell you Elle. Please don't interrupt me." Tom takes a deep breath as he remembers the speech he had been planning. "I love you Elle. Not like we've always said, I mean I _love_ you. You're all that I've ever had and you're all that I really need. You are my sun and my moon. My world revolves around you. You are everything to me, and I know that's not saying much because I don't have many things right now, but even if I was the richest man in the world, I would give it all up for you. That's why I've never been ok with anyone else dating you, that's why I've always wanted to keep you to myself. You mean everything to me, and it breaks my heart to see you with anyone else. I think it's time we talked honestly about it, because I can't hold back anymore. I can't kiss you again and pretend it doesn't mean what it's always meant to me."

And it's exactly what happened in his worst nightmares. She's totally silent for nearly an entire minute. He keeps holding her gaze, but he swears he's about to throw up. He had never thought about what to do if she reacted negatively.

Eleanor finally speaks up, almost whispering to him, "Tom, you know I love you too, but you also know I don't like commitment. You know I can't be in any serious relationship, and you know why. The way my parents died and … I don't ever want to lose somebody I care about again. I don't want to lose you because of some silly argument or something that makes it not work out between us. What we have now just works, and I don't think we should take that for granted."

Tom freezes. He wants to scream. He's never wanted to curse someone so badly. He can actually feel the anger coursing through his veins. She didn't want to be in a relationship? Then what was she doing with that Gryffindor boy? What had she done with the dozens of boys before that? He could not believe that she was so afraid of losing him that she was just going to turn him away when he most needed her to except him for who he really was, how he really felt. He resists everything his body is telling him to do, every urge to just cast the imperious curse on her or threaten to kill the little lion, and manages to force out a few calm words.

"Of course. I don't want to lose you either Elle."

"I'm glad you understand," Eleanor says, moving closer to him and wrapping her arms around his waist. Her face is pressed against his chest as she murmurs, "I love you."

Merlin, had he ever heard more hollow words? She might as well have added _but I don't want to be with you_ to that.

Eleanor stands on her tiptoes to kiss him and he figures, well, fuck it. She already knows how he feels. What is the point of holding back now? Tom grabs her neck, pulling her in more, hands wandering along her dress to places he's never dared touch before except when in the worst of moods.

"Tom…" Eleanor says after a minute, pulling away. She's breathing heavily. She gasps as his fingers wander up and down her thigh. "Don't you think this is a bit quick?"

Hell no, it is not too quick. He has been waiting for this for years. He wants to make her realize everything she just turned down. Make her realize he is better than the other boys in so many more ways than she would ever guess. And he knows he is better in bed, because he's been told so. He's done this before, when he's been particularly mad at her, in deserted hallways with girls he doesn't remember the names of and doesn't care to see again, and they always beg for more. He can tell from the way she's breathing that she wants more too.

Maybe that's just what he needs, for her to want _more _of him. Just like in fourth year, when she had gotten mad at that boy and realized Tom really could not be there for her someday and had come running to him. She was taking him for granted and he knew it was partly because of that little lion who had convinced her Tom was not good enough to her. He had to prove how good he really could be, and how bad he could make some other boy be. He had to be stronger than giving into this moment, and he had to make that Gryffindor weaker than withstanding it. He had a week to figure out the details of his latest plan.

Tom smirks at her coyly, his fingers still making her shiver as they explore her lower back and her neck. "Yes, it is a bit quick."

He suddenly steps away from her, leaving Eleanor feeling cold and alone in the night. As much as she wanted to deny it, to keep him confided to that little box in her head labeled friend and not worry about the moral issues of kissing two different boys, Tom had been doing some very wicked and very enjoyable things to her. She had kissed many boys during her years at Hogwarts, but she had never felt a kiss like that. A kiss so utterly passionate that it made every cell in her body scream for her to get closer to him. She had never been touched like that, so tender and demanding that she just wanted to give in to wherever his hands took her. She had expected him to slow down, not stop entirely. And now Eleanor felt, for lack of a better word, frustrated. Every instinct she had was begging to go back to that kiss, but her logic was telling her not to let Tom swallow her further into his sinkhole of isolation.

"It's later than I expected and, thanks to your early morning energy, I am quite tired. I'm going to bed, but you are welcome to go talk to Rose or anyone else if you'd like," Tom says. To her surprise, he is still smirking. He doesn't seem angry or disappointed in the slightest.

Eleanor tries to hide her own disappointment at the fact that he's leaving, "Maybe I will go talk to Rose for a bit. I'll come to bed in half an hour."

"No rush. Don't forget your present," Tom says, kissing her forehead and muttering goodnight before he walks away.

Vera, still shaken up, goes to find Rose and tell her about what happened with Aiden. When she comes back to his room, she finds Tom asleep already and lights a candle to do some reading. For the first time, she actually notices how handsome he is – how perfectly his jaw and cheekbones are sculpted, how his dark hair lands perfectly on his face, how every line of his slender body forms a perfect picture of youth and beauty. Eleanor sighs, still looking at him as she thinks of Aiden at home, waiting for an answer from her.

**Confession is always weakness. The grave soul keeps its own secrets, and takes its own punishment in silence. – Dorothy Dix**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** The moment everyone has been waiting for! I hope it wasn't too bitter of a disappointment. I did start this story primarily from the ending and intend to keep it faithful to my original idea, though I sympathize with everyone's love of Tom. Writing this took a lot out of me, but I hope you all think I got it right.

I'm going to give another shameless shoutout to my other Tom/OC story, 1100 Silver Coins, because I am really getting into that one lately and would love more people to read it now that the plot of it is gearing up. Like this one, I think it has a pretty unique storyline and take on Tom, so even if you've been reading fanfiction for a long time you might find it refreshing. Please go read it? (insert puppy eyes)

As always, reviews, even anonymous ones, are greatly appreciated. I think it really enhances the story when I hear from you guys, so any feedback is amazing :)


	27. Victory

**You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness. – Jonathan Safran Foer**

Tom remembers the first time he knew he was jealous of a boy she liked. It had been the summer after their third year. That stupid muggle boy who looked nothing like him. And then Malfoy, who was nothing like him. And then that quidditch idiot she had dated in fourth year, who acted nothing like him. The string of other boys ran through his head until he finally arrived at her current infatuation, that moronic lion. All nothing like Tom. After all, why would she like someone like Tom? He was always in a foul mood, as she put it, and he was much too tall and too pale and too unhappy for someone as boisterous and adventurous and doll-like as Eleanor.

But he would make her realize he was the one she was really meant to be with, not those morons with their tanned, muscled flesh and confident, mischievous grins. He would make her realize that they shared a bond she would never have with any of those idiots. He was extraordinary, and she would only help him be even more exceptional and powerful. Besides, they had both made promises to each other about the future, and he was not one to back down from a promise he meant. He could already picture the house by the seaside they would live in while he established his base of power; could already imagine them, together, being the most powerful wizarding couple the world had ever seen.

Tom Riddle believed very strongly in destiny, and he believed it should never be messed with. They had been inexplicably tied together since that first day at the orphanage; it was as if destiny itself had brought them together through the horrible circumstances surrounding their childhood. Therefore, he would ensure that he and Eleanor fulfilled their destiny together. Eleanor was his. Fate had proclaimed it so by bringing her to him when they were only four years old, and he would not let some stupid little lion destroy what was meant to be.

* * *

><p>"Do you really think I will let you take her away from me so easily?" Tom asks, twisting his wand around in his hands.<p>

Aiden looks around the hallway, searching for a way out other than the staircase that Tom is blocking. Giving up on escaping from the conflict, he finally just decides to face it. It's already been two weeks since they got back to school and Eleanor has been spending a significant amount of time with him everyday, so he figured this was coming sometime soon anyway. Aiden glares at him while saying, "Take her away from you? If she wants to hang out with me, it's not like she has to ask your permission. You aren't her father or anything."

"See, you don't quite get it. Yes, she does have to ask my permission if she wants to speak to you. In fact, she has to ask my permission just to look at you. She knows she isn't allowed near you. I've made it very clear that this type of conduct will not be tolerated by me."

"You make it sound like you own her. You don't."

"I practically do. I was the only person she ever had to take care of her. She knows she is supposed to do as I say, and usually there isn't a problem with that. However, ever since she met you, she's had a bit of a problem obeying. So I'm starting to think the problem is you."

"I'm the problem? Maybe the problem is this ridiculous attitude of yours. You do not own her. She doesn't have to do what you say. She's her own person, and she doesn't need you to watch out for her anymore. Things have changed. She likes me better now. Accept it."

"You think things have changed?" Tom actually laughs. The little lion was indeed falling for his act, and he knew just how to shoot him down. "Our relationship hasn't changed since we first came to Hogwarts, and it isn't about to change just because she took a little fancy to a misguided Gryffindor. She'll be over you in a month or two anyway, just like all of the other boys she entertained the idea of dating. Just ask her who she would choose and you'll see. Now, I suggest you watch out, otherwise you might just end up in the Hospital Wing."

Tom smirks at Aiden for a few seconds before walking away. The eye contact sends chills down Aiden's spine, and for some reason Tom's words just won't stop repeating themselves in his head the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Aiden finally decides to see if Riddle was actually telling the truth. He waits outside of the dinning hall after finishing his dinner. Luckily, Eleanor comes out alone.<p>

"Want to take a walk?" Aiden asks casually. She's surprised by his voice and turns to look at him. She smiles and he gets a little more courageous.

"Sure, but I can only be gone a few minutes. Tom and I have plans."

"Then why isn't he here with you?" Aiden asks, raising an eyebrow. They step out into the clock tower courtyard. Aiden leads the way as they walk around the square.

"Oh, he was late for dinner and just started eating. I don't know where his head has been these last few days," she replies calmly. "If this is about what you asked me over break, I still haven't had the chance to really think about it. I'm sorry. Can I just have a few more days?"

"Actually, I have a new question this time. I hope you don't mind me asking," Aiden says, feeling shy again. Why does she have to be so goddamn cute all the time? Maybe if she didn't look so fragile, he wouldn't be so scared of saying the wrong thing when he talked to her.

"Ask away," she says, still smiling.

"If you had to choose between Riddle and..." he begins.

She blushes and then cuts him off by saying, "That is honestly the last thing I would have wanted you to ask."

"If you don't want to answer, it's fine."

"If you're sure you want to ask, then it's only fair that I answer. I don't want to keep things from you. As long as you trust me, Aiden, I'm going to trust you. And right now I need to trust that my response isn't going to change the way you feel about me, no matter what side I pick."

Aiden thinks for a minute. It really could still go either way. The obvious thing he thinks at first is that she's going to pick Riddle, because she wouldn't be worried about him changing his mind about her if she was going to pick Aiden. But then it occurs to Aiden that she might be worried that he'll think she's too clingy or something like that if she picks him.

He stops by the tree in the middle of the courtyard, leaning back against it. Aiden looks over at her again and smiles. He wants to kiss her again so badly. They have barely even touched since she left his house. He says, "I don't think anything could change my feelings for you. So, to hell with it, I guess I'll just ask. If you had to choose one of us, would you pick Riddle or would you pick me?"

Eleanor stands still across from him. She's biting her lip and looking away from Aiden. She looks back at him a few seconds later and suddenly he takes her hands in his. He pulls her closer, taking the opportunity to wrap his arms around her tightly. He doesn't want her to say it anymore, doesn't want her to admit it and crush him with the name that he's grown to hate so much. He just wants to pretend everything's perfect, like it was when they were at his house together, laying in the snow. He wants to pretend that he'll actually be able to be with her in more than just this odd, semi-secret way, always having to cancel plans and never knowing when he'll see her again and always looking behind his back to make sure Riddle isn't there to hurt them.

In that moment, they're perfect. But, of course, she just has to ruin it with her soft little whisper of a voice. The inevitable word slips out of her mouth like hot lava, creating an unbridgeable mental divide in between them even though Aiden promised it wouldn't, "Tom."

Aiden notices that she's turned her head to the side and is staring at something new. He turns his head too, looking at the doors to the Entrance Hall. Standing in front of them is Tom Riddle, illuminated only from behind. He returns her stare for a second before turning and leaving, shutting the door behind him. They're left in silence again. Aiden doesn't dare ask her whether her response was prompted by seeing Riddle in the doorway or his question.

Starting to feel uncomfortable with the silence, Eleanor tries to explain things to Aiden, hoping she hasn't hurt his feelings. She knows she should probably just be running after Tom right now, trying to explain the scene he just witnessed given that she's never told him what happened over break, but she doesn't feel the same kind of urgency she previously would have. She knows that, whether she appeases Tom now or later, he'll still be in a mood and he will still get whatever he demands from her.

She starts by saying, "The question is really not fair. I mean, I have a different kind of love for each of you. Riddle will always be my best friend. He was the only one who really took care of me when we were little. I mean, I'd probably be dead of some fever or something if it wasn't for him. I know you and George and Rose can't understand my loyalty to him, but you don't know the Tom Riddle I know. He's usually much nicer to me. It's just that … well, honestly, he's like a big brother to me and I don't think we could ever abandon each other after all the things we've been through together."

"I've heard enough Riddle praise for one day, thanks," Aiden says bitterly. "He's nicer to you? Sure, that's why you've come to me crying because of him before and that's why all of those scars are there. Because it's perfectly _nice_ of him to control you and hit you and, I can't fucking forget my favorite part, kiss you. That's right, that's totally what all big brothers do to their little sisters."

She pulls away from him, "I knew you were going to..."

He cuts her off, "Come on, Eleanor, why are you getting mad at me? Isn't it all true? Seriously, can you repeat one part of what I just said that was a lie?"

She stays silent for a minute, staring down at the ground. He can see her shaking; whether from anger or from the cold he doesn't know. She finally looks up at him and says, "I can't go out with you. We're too different."

As she starts to turn around, Aiden tries to tug her gently back into his arms. He's nearly begging as he says, "We aren't different at all."

She stares at him incredulously, "How can you say that? You grew up with parents and friends that cared about you and you got whatever you wanted. Don't pretend you didn't, I saw that house. Until Dumbledore told me I was a witch, all that I had was a tiny room and Tom. And clearly, you can't understand that – you can't understand me."

His arms refuse to unravel and let her free. "Lena, please don't leave right now. I was being quick-tempered. What I said was stupid. Please forgive me. I promise I won't bring it up again."

"No. No matter what you say, that's always what we come back to. You can't let it go – you want to convince me he's some kind of evil mastermind, and _he's not_. But you don't understand that, because you don't understand what it was like to grow up in that place. We can be friends, but I can't date someone who doesn't understand such a big part of my life."

She escapes his grip, sliding away from him before he has the chance to think of a response. As Eleanor disappears through the doors to the Entrance Hall, Aiden lets his head fall back against the tree, fists curling. Tom had been telling the truth – her arrival at the orphanage was the last real change she had went through, and it had been so shocking that she was still not prepared to jump into another one.

* * *

><p>Eleanor tries to hold back a frown as she walks down to the common room. At least now she finally knew why things had been so difficult with Aiden, with all the other boys. Her upbringing had been tragic and unusual, and she now realized that no one could understand that experience except for the boy she had already had all along. She had gone out chasing someone who would make her forget her past – but now she knew how wrong, how incomplete that was.<p>

She puts on a smile as she enters the common room and sees Tom sitting with his friends around the fire, the only ones there. Eleanor walks up to them, standing behind Tom's chair. She notices that everyone is purposely speaking in low voices, careful not to look at her without Tom's permission. Leaning forward, she places her hands on Tom's shoulders. She tilts her head to whisper in his ear, "When are you coming to bed?"

Tom turns his head a little, and she can still see the hints of annoyance on his face from seeing her with Aiden. She sees everyone else in the room stare at them for a brief second as he says, "I'll be up soon."

""Stand up," She whispers in his ear, a little louder this time so nearly everyone hears. Her voice is a little rough and plenty authoritative, enough to turn on most of the guys in the room. Tom sighs and does as she says, turning around, expecting her to chid him for spying on her. Instead, she leans over the top of the couch and grabs his shirt collar, pulling his upper body forward. Her lips crash onto his. She kisses him for a minute before pulling away and saying, "Don't keep me waiting for too long."

As she's walking away, she senses the eyes of every guy in the room staring at her. She looks back and sees only Tom, a smirk plastered on his face. He looks incredibly striking. Any girl in the world would kill to have Tom Riddle hold her hand or put his arm around her waist. There were probably at least 10 girls sleeping in the Slytherin dorms now, dreaming about him.

Any other girl would think it was a miracle if they managed to get the infamously cold Tom Riddle to kiss her. Yet Tom Riddle is all hers, every flawless and cruel part of him. The realization shocks her a little as she thinks back to the full significance of his declaration of love – she had never thought that Tom could be attached to anyone, he was so detached most of the time. For the first time, she realizes the power she has over him. She'd always thought he was in control, but she had failed to realize that one little action of hers could set him off or make his day.

* * *

><p>Tom sits back down in his chair, still smirking. Well, he certainly hadn't expected to win so quickly.<p>

Flint was the first to speak up, "That was … interesting."

Tom looks over at him but doesn't reply. Upon seeing that the comment didn't make Tom mad, Nott jumps in and says, "Quite a firebrand you've got there. Intending to let any of us get at her anytime soon?"

Tom continues smirking, "Don't think so. I'd rather keep her for myself."

Greengrass bluntly states what all of them are wondering, "Is she your girlfriend?"

Tom glances over at Greengrass and sees the anger she can barely hold back. Of course Greengrass is jealous of Eleanor, but he bets all of the guys in the room are jealous of him too. Without answering, Tom gets up and takes the staircase to his room.

* * *

><p>She takes off her robe and throws it over Tom's chair. She's fixing her hair in the mirror when he walks in. She makes eye contact with him through the mirror but doesn't turn around. He comes up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and whispers in her ear, "Be my girlfriend."<p>

"Tom," she whines, trying to move away from him as she starts getting uncomfortable. She brought this up last time. She hates commitment, and she does not like that word. He doesn't move his arms from around her waist.

"Answer me Elle," Tom demands.

She just turns around and starts unbuttoning his shirt, looking down the entire time instead of facing him and having to say something. She pulls off his cloak and lets it fall to the ground. Her hands go back to the front of his shirt, lingering on the newly unbuttoned sides. Her fingers skim his abs.

"You're so skinny," She whispers, feeling his rib bones below her fingers. "You probably barely ate anything for dinner."

"I'm fine," He answers automatically, knowing he can't tell her what's causing his stress. Eventually, she will know about his plans for fame and immortality, but he knows she will not understand them now.

"You look tired lately Tom. Very tired."

"Don't worry about me Elle."

"How can I not worry about you? You look a bit sick. You need to rest more instead of studying so much. You take school much too seriously."

"It's not school that makes me stay up so late. Usually I'm just waiting for you to get back," Tom says, turning the tables on her to prevent revealing any unflattering facts about what he does with his free time.

She shakes her head, "I haven't been a very good best friend lately, have I?"

Tom's hands come up to rest on her hips, "You're still avoiding the question Elle."

"Was it ever really a question Tom?"

His lips crash down onto hers. He turns them around, pressing her body against the wall. A few minutes later, he lifts her up and she wraps her legs around his waist. He smirks as he whispers in her ear, "Time to go to bed."

He sets her down on the mattress, never failing to match his every movement with hers so that they're pressed together the entire time. In a few more minutes, he's managed to rid himself of his shirt and slacks while simultaneously pulling off her shirt and skirt. He finally rolls off of her when he senses that she isn't ready to go any further, laying on his side next to her instead, arms still around her waist.

"Goodnight. I will always love you," he whispers in her ear as he kisses her cheek.

"I love you too Tom," Eleanor whispers back, eyes sparkling as she really looks at him for the first time in ages. She can't believe she's taken him for granted for so long.

* * *

><p>Tom gets up near sunrise and takes a shower. When he gets back to the room, he wakes Eleanor up with a kiss and a good morning. He waits for her to get ready, then they walk down to breakfast together, holding hands all the way. They sit across from each other and began talking about the assignments they have due in their classes that day. Eleanor notices that there's actually a small smile on Tom's face the entire time, and he laughs more during breakfast that day then she's heard him laugh for the last two years.<p>

Regulus Black, Amycus Carrow, Antonin Dolohov, Theodore Nott, and Astoria Greengrass sit farther down at the table, staring at Tom and Eleanor.

"What is wrong with Riddle?" Greengrass finally asks while picking at her food.

"I think he's in love with her," Black mutters, barely paying attention to them.

Dolohov raises an eyebrow, "Riddle? In love? Not possible."

Greengrass looks angry as she says, "While, he's fucking smiling at her like he loves her. Doesn't he realize what a stupid little tramp she is? Running around with those insipid Gryffindors."

"You know he's going to punish you if he hears that you said that," Black says after taking a bite of his food. "You all may want to shut up before you make him angry again."

"Well, it isn't fair. We'll be the ones that he sends out to watch her and make sure she doesn't do anything that he doesn't like. And he won't even tell us if she's his girlfriend," Greengrass mutters.

"Of course she's his girlfriend," Black says.

Nott frowns, "While now I'll never get to fuck her."

"Don't let him hear you say that Nott. You know what he does to boys that like her," Carrow interjects.

"First hand experience, Carrow?" Nott responds with a smirk.

"Shut up," Carrow huffs.

"What did he do to you when you tried to ask her out? It's been a year since it happened, right? Come on Carrow, tell us already," Nott teases.

"I told you to shut up Nott," Carrow replies, clenching his jaw.

Nott smirks, "Did he launch a nice little curse straight at your face? Is that what happened to your smile?"'

"Stop it Nott," Regulus commands.

"You can't tell me what to do Black. Just because Riddle's off with his girlfriend, doesn't make you the boss of us all of a sudden." Nott replies cheekily.

"You really want to know? He cast the imperius curse on me, made me light a fire on my wand and ordered me to burn the left side of my face. He told me if I talked to her again, he would personally take care of the other side." Carrow adds bitterly, "Wait until you see what he does to you after I tell him about that precious little comment of yours."

Everyone's silent for a minute. They stare down at the end of the table, where Tom and Eleanor are still talking. Eleanor stands up, leaning over to kiss Tom before walking away. They turn their heads to watch her walk out of the Great Hall.

"I still don't get it," Greengrass says.

"Don't get what?" Tom interjects as he stops behind them. Everyone suddenly looks up, paranoia in their eyes. Does he know what they were talking about?

Regulus is the only one who remains unfazed. He looks up at Riddle before saying, "We were just wondering what was going on between you and Eleanor."

"She's my girlfriend. Does anyone want to express their feelings about that?" Tom smirks as he speaks. The entire Slytherin table suddenly becomes silent. Everyone that's brave enough to look at Tom is staring at him without blinking. The ones who aren't brave enough are looking down at their food, careful not to make a noise in case it makes him angry. A few seconds later, Tom speaks again, "No? Good."

**The only sense that is common in the long run is the sense of change, and we all instinctively avoid it. – E. B. White**


	28. Lose

**Love in action is a harsh and dreadful thing compared with love in dreams. – Fyodor Dostoevsky**

It's been nearly three weeks since Eleanor spoke to Aiden, and she can't stand it anymore – he, Rose and George had become such essential parts of her life that having her interactions with them reduced to furtive looks in the hallway and the occasional awkward partnership in class was unbearable. She wants to go back to being friends, back to joking around in the library and rolling on the grass after broom races. So Eleanor stops by the pitch at the end of Gryffindor quidditch practice that day, hoping she and Aiden can overcome their unfinished argument, like they had so many times before.

But from the second Aiden walks out of the locker room and sees her sitting on the benches waiting for him, she knows she is trying to wage a campaign on scorched earth. The look on his face is so defiantly angry that she expects him to start yelling at her right away. Instead, he walks up to her and calmly says, "I heard you're his girlfriend now. That's not true, is it?"

"It is," she replies, trying to remain just as calm. "I came to ask you if we could still be friends."

"Are you serious? You agreed to date Tom Riddle? The same fucker who used to hit you whenever you did something wrong? The same fucker who must have cursed me at least twenty times this year? The same fucker who wouldn't let you speak to me a few months ago? And you're asking me to stand by you after you made that choice? Is this some sick joke?"

"I thought I made it clear that I am tired of hearing how much you hate him."

"Don't you get it? This is not about me. This is not about some grudge I have against him or even the fact that, after everything he did to you, you still picked him over me. This is about you. This is about _your safety_. I love you. I hate your guts right now for coming to talk to me after what you said that night, but I still love you. I want you to be happy, even if what makes you happy is not being with me. But you can't be happy dating a person who has no control over his anger and no remorse, and that is not my opinion – that's a fact anyone would agree on. You are choosing to date a bastard that has hurt you in every possible way, and you don't even see a problem with that, or with the way he treats you. You don't see that you deserve better than that."

Eleanor sighs, "I hate how you keep bringing the past up. There's more to him than the bad he's done. And anyway, he's changed. He's learning how to control himself and he's trying to do good."

"Bullocks. Maybe he's changed the way he behaves in front of you, but if you knew what he and his little group of friends did behind your back I think you would know he can't change. You have no clue about the way they bullied George's cousin just for being muggleborn, do you? Or the fact that the reason I still have a rubbish mark in potions is because one of them always finds a way to sabotage my assignments? Or the fact that one of those boys tried to assault Dorcas Meadowes in the prefect's bathroom last week, and when she asked Riddle to report him to your head of house, he laughed?"

"You are either making things up or being wildly paranoid. I know Tom can't be responsible for all that – if he was, why would he even be in the running for next year's head boy?"

Aiden actually snickers. It's the first time she's ever heard him sound mean, "Of course your dear Saint Tom could never do anything bad like that. I mean, it isn't like he ever cursed you for over an hour or nearly sexually assaulted you, is it? I must be thinking of some other version of evil incarnate."

Eleanor feels herself nearly driven to tears by his mockery. This is not what she wanted to talk about when she came here. She nearly whispers, "Aiden, please…"

He cuts her off, "Please what Eleanor? Please just forget how sick you and Tom are? I don't know what the hell is wrong with you that you think you can be happy with him. He's a fucking sociopath! He's so pathetic, having to threaten you to get you to do anything, and yet you've let him do this to you for years. He hits you and yells at you – and you still love him. Are you ever going to love someone who actually deserves it? Are you ever going to love me Lena? Or am I just waisting my time? Because, no, we can't still be friends. I want so much more than that, and I am done with standing around waiting for you."

Aiden turns around and walks out of the pitch. Eleanor starts crying before he's even out of view. It seems that, no matter what decisions she makes, she always loses the people most important to her. If she had chosen Aiden, she knew she would have lost him to Tom's anger anyway. She had thought Aiden would be the voice of reason, the silent guardian watching over her even when he couldn't be near her, because that was what he had always been in the year or so he had stuck with her. Now she is reminded yet again that decisions always have consequences, which is why she hates them so much.

* * *

><p>Aiden is walking back to his dorm room after detention the next night. No one is out in the hallways, since it's past curfew. He's near the staircase to the seventh floor when he suddenly feels himself lifted off the ground and thrown into one of the empty classrooms. The door slams shut behind him as he hits the wall and slides down to the ground.<p>

Aiden looks up and sees Tom leaning against the opposite wall. He's smirking. Before Aiden can say anything, Tom casually flicks his wand and mutters, "Crucio."

Aiden feels the most intense pain ever erupt inside of him. His body convulses as his nerves lose control, giving into the pain. He feels like he can't even control his own mind anymore. He feels like a million knives are stabbing every point in his body. He feels like he would rather die. Finally, the pain is over and immense relief washes over him. He collapses onto the ground, hardly able to breath.

He manages to gasp out, "Why?"

"You made Eleanor cry," Tom says callously. "And since she'll never get revenge, I suppose it's my job."

"Don't pretend you're doing this for Eleanor," Aiden mutters from still shivering lips.

"Oh, but I am. Stay away from her."

"Once again, don't pretend you're doing this for her. I know she would still want to see me."

Anger twitches at the sides of Tom's smirk, "Not anymore."

"You're lying. You just don't want me to see her."

"I guess you'll never know if I'm really lying, because you will never speak to Eleanor again."

"Is that an order?"

"Yes, it is."

"I'm not like your little lapdogs. You can't order me around."

"Really? Crucio."

The pain comes back over Aiden. He manages to hold onto his own thought process by counting out the seconds that it lasts. It's a full minute before Tom lowers his wand.

"Are you going to speak to Eleanor again?" He asks tersely.

Aiden takes a deep breath before saying, "Yes."

The curse starts again. It lasts ten seconds longer this time. Tom asks him the same question. Aiden gives the same answer. This time the curse is two minutes long. Tom asks the same question. Aiden gives the same answer. Three minutes. Same question, same answer. Four minutes. Same question, same answer. And so on, until Aiden has to endure ten full minutes of the cruciatus curse at once. He feels as if he is coming very close to death. Same question, same answer. Aiden passes out halfway through the next curse, his body still convulsing even though his brain is no longer able to process anything. Tom sighs at the fact that his fun is over and lowers his wand. He walks over and looks at the pathetic excuse for a man on the ground before obliviating Aiden's memory – there was no use for him remembering the incident if he had refused to fall in line anyway. Tom walks out and returns to his common room, telling Eleanor that he was on prefect duty.

* * *

><p>She's woken up in the middle of the night to a knocking on Tom's door. She looks over at him sleeping peacefully and decides to get up and answer it before he's woken up. On her way to the door, she picks up Tom's robe, which is laying on the ground near her, in an attempt to cover up.<p>

Regulus Black is leaning against the doorframe. She notices him appraising her and realizes what he must be thinking, what with her in Tom's robe and Tom laying on his bed without his shirt on.

"You and him … what's it like?" Regulus asks curiously, "I mean, I heard things … and the fire-poker incident … but he must not be as horrible to you anymore, right? You two do look happy together now."

She blushes, "I think we are. We know each other too well, I suppose. It makes it easier to be together, but it also makes it easier for each of us to make the other mad when we're angry. What did you hear?"

Regulus looks down, "I heard he used to hit you. With his hands. Everyone thinks he still does."

"He hasn't been that angry in a while," Eleanor says, almost unfeelingly.

"You make him a better person. I think it's good."

She smiles softly, "I think it's good too."

The robe slips off her shoulder, revealing a scar from a few years ago, when Tom had thrown a glass at her in a fit. She quickly pulls the robe back up, but not before she notices Regulus staring at the scar.

"He really shouldn't hurt you. Not if he loves you as much as he seems to."

She blushes again, "He just … forgets sometimes."

Regulus stares at her. She sees sadness in his eyes, but pretends to ignore it. Finally, he breaks eye contact and says, "Well, anyway, you've got someone asking for you downstairs. You may want to get dressed first though."

Her cheeks turn red again as she thanks him and then closes the door before stumbling around looking for her clothes. Once she's dressed, she kisses Tom. He stirs, staring at her with half-awake eyes, and she says, "I have to go do something. I'll be back before morning though. Sleep well."

He nods and kisses her. She sees how weary he is and feels bad about waking him.

Eleanor glances at Regulus as she enters the common room. He's the only one there, just sitting and reading a book. She goes to the portrait hole. It opens for her. She's shocked when she sees Rose standing there, tears in her eyes.

"It's Aiden … he's in the hospital wing. Come on," Rose spits out. She grabs Eleanor's hand and they begin running up the stairs together, not caring if they get caught out of their rooms. By the time they arrive, they're breathless. Eleanor stops and takes in a deep breath as soon as they cross the doorway. Her eyes scan the room, finding Aiden's in the bed closest to her.

She walks up, feeling a cold sweat wash over her as she sees his body. His eyes are closed, but he's twitching every few seconds and a horrified look is on his face. Eleanor gasps as soon as she takes the scene in and then tries to cover her mouth to stop herself from sobbing. Unlike Rose, she manages to hold off tears.

"What's happened to him?" Eleanor whispers.

"We can't be sure. He stumbled into the Gryffindor common room looking awful around midnight. His eyes … they were so blank. He couldn't speak. He just stared ahead, as if he had seen something horrible. And he was shaking so badly. George and I didn't know what was wrong, so we took him here. As soon as we set him down, he passed out. Madam Pomfrey says she can't confirm anything until he's awake again, but she thinks it may have been the cruciatus curse. It's the only one that could cause all these symptoms by itself."

Eleanor freezes. She looks away from Aiden, not able to take it anymore. She knows. She doesn't want to know but, as bad as it is, she can't erase it from her memory. She can't forget that the innocent sleeping boy she just kissed is the same person who did this to Aiden. She knows she has no proof, but she just knows. His name haunts her mind, and when she looks back at Aiden she feels her heart wrenching and her gut tightening, as if she's about to throw up.

"I … I …" Eleanor stutters, but can't think of anything to say. She runs over to the sink behind her and throws up. Rose follows her, holding Eleanor's hair back as Eleanor leans over the sink and throws up again. A minute later, Eleanor stands up and turns on the water, splashing some of the cold liquid over her face.

"What's wrong Lena? You've gone pale. Are you sick too?"

"No, no, I'm …" Eleanor's face scrunches up as she sees spots across her vision. The black spots begin to take over her view, until all she can see is Rose's worried eyes.

"Are you okay?" Rose asks, her voice soft.

"I … I …" Eleanor stutters again, still at a lose for words as she breathes rapidly.

"Madam Pomfrey!" Rose shouts, looking away from Eleanor temporarily.

Eleanor feels the room spinning around her. She feels so confused. She opens her mouth to speak, but no words come out except for a faint whisper of Tom's name. She tries to take a deep breath, but her lungs feel too constricted. She begins gasping, trying to get air to enter her throat, but it feels like she can't. The cold washes over her, she feels the blood rush from her face, feels her hands shaking and tries to grab the sink again to support herself, but it's too late. Her vision finally goes black and she falls backward. She feels Rose's arms supporting her just before she loses conscience.

Madam Pomfrey rushes up and levitates Eleanor to the private room next to her office. She shakes her head as she turns to Rose and orders, "Get Tom Riddle."

"But Tom is..." Rose starts crossly. Aiden had told her about the argument he had with Eleanor.

"Regardless of your personal views on him, go get Tom Riddle."

Rose tries to argue again, "Riddle isn't good for her."

Madam Pomfrey turns to her again, looking angrier than Rose believed the sweet young woman could ever be. She says icily, "I said, get Tom Riddle. I do not want to hear your view on him. Get Tom."

"No, I will not. Tom is a bloody git."

"Rose Collins, you will do as I say!" Madame Pomfrey yells, "You are in no position to judge Tom Riddle when it comes to this. He has been taking care of this girl since they were children, and I will not bloody well poison her with some useless potion if he can make her better without one."

"Well, he's the one that's poisoning her…" Rose mutters as she leaves. Despite what she wants to do, she walks back down to the Slytherin common room. She yells for someone to open the door and, sure enough, Regulus Black is the one that comes.

"You again? What do you want now? I didn't know you knew anyone else in this house," he drawls.

"Madam Pomfrey told me to get Riddle."

"What do you need Riddle for? You should expect him to yell at you for waking him."

"Eleanor's … she isn't feeling well."

Regulus paled, "Has she fainted again?"

Rose nodded, surprised he knew, "Anyway, could you get Riddle?"

"It's been years since she last fainted. What's happened?"

"It's none of your business. Could you just get Riddle?"

Regulus rolls his eyes as he walks away. He walks up the stairs to the boys dorms, feeling reluctant. He wonders how Tom will take the news. He wants to know what is wrong with her too, but he knows not to ask to go. Tom would assume he felt something for her, and then he would be tortured too. He knocks softly, afraid of making him even more angry at being woken up.

"What is it?" Tom says drearily as he opens the door. Regulus notices he has pulled on the same robe Eleanor had been wearing when she first answered the door.

"Eleanor's fainted again. She's in the hospital wing."

Tom's face goes white, "Ok."

A few minutes after Regulus goes back to the common room to continue cramming last minute homework for Transfiguration, Tom comes down. Regulus looks up and notices the slight tint ting to his eyes – for a second, it is hard to believe that Tom Riddle had cried.

* * *

><p>Tom sits by her side all night, staring at her while holding her hand. Finally, as the sun rises, she stirs. She opens her eyes slowly and looks up at Tom's face. She tries to get up but he holds her down with a gentle hand.<p>

"Wait a minute," he says as he takes the pillows behind him and props her head up. "Now, you've got to eat first before you say anything."

Tom feeds her, and then washes her face and gives her some water to drink. He watches the color slowly return to her face until he is finally satisfied that she is better. He holds her hand in the silence as he waits for her to regain her voice.

She quickly pulls her hand away from him as she remembers what caused her to faint last night. Not able to look at him any longer, she turns away. In a shaky voice, she asks, "Did you do it?"

"What are you talking about darling?"

"Torture Aiden. Did you do it?"

He hides his smirk before saying, "I still don't know what you are talking about."

She shakes her head, "I should have told him to be careful."

"What are you talking about?" he asks softly, trying to reach out and hold her hand again.

She draws away violently, "Don't touch me Tom. Get out. I don't want to see you."

His face seems to turn to stone, "Eleanor, you will never speak to me like that again."

"Like hell I won't," she replies angrily.

He looks at her, his blue eyes like ice, "No, you will not. You will thank me for taking care of you and then you will kiss me and we will get up and go to class together."

"I'm not even going to class today. You'll be lucky if I ever kiss you again. I told you I don't want to see you, get out!"

Tom reaches out and grabs her wrists, holding them tightly together and pulling her up to him so that he can press his lips on hers. She can already feel the pain in her hands and imagine where the bruises will be later. She takes a sharp intake of breath as he lets her wrists go and pushes her back down on the bed violently.

"Do not speak to me like that."

She looks away from him, shaking her head, "I thought you'd changed."

"I thought you loved me, but instead you were devastated over that fool," Tom says acidly.

She freezes. She knows she can't convince herself it is all in her head anymore. All she can think to say is, "So you did crucio him then?"

Tom smirks, "Why don't you ask him who did it? I bet he couldn't name me."

She stares at him. He looks like some kind of monster, with that smirk and the glint in his eye. She's actually scared – very scared, more scared of him than she has ever been before in her life.

"Aren't you going to thank me for taking care of you?" Tom asks with an edge to his voice.

"Oh, trust me, that will be the last thing I do."

"Eleanor, don't you dare test me."

"I am not testing you Tom! For Merlin's sake, how could you have done that? How can you expect me to thank you after you did that?"

"I wouldn't have had to do it if you had stopped seeing him."

"You promised me I could!"

"That was before I realized that he was in bloody love with you!"

"And that gives you the right to torture him?"

"I told you, no one can prove that I tortured him."

"Get out! I do not want to speak to you again, Tom Marvolo Riddle!" She screams. When he tries to touch her, she jerks away violently and grabs her wand. She begins throwing curses at him. One blows up the vase on the nightstand, a few others create dents in the walls, others singe his hair and just barely miss his skin. He retreats quickly, hoping he can hold back his own anger enough to stop from cursing her on the spot just like he had cursed that insipid little boy toy of hers. He knows he can't do anything here, with the threat of Madam Pomfrey walking in at any second.

Tom is sure she will be over this soon. Once she is willing to see him again, he will coax her into speaking with him through an (untruthful) apology, and then ensure that none of the lions are ever near her again. He assures himself that things will be back to normal between them in no time, even if she has never had this extreme of a reaction before, and he will make her forget that stupid lion once and for all. He just has to rethink his strategy again.

What he does not realize, after so many years together, is that it is possible for her to give up on him. He has assured his own destruction. He had been so confident that she really loved him and was really done with the Gryffindor prat that he had overlooked the possibility that she still cared for the little lion. But what he had done had made her realize that the things Aiden said about him were true. For the first time in her life, Eleanor could not justify his actions, because she was too utterly disappointed in him to even try to give him another chance. Tom had betrayed everything she wished he could be, and there was no way for her to trust him again after that. He had forgotten that they called it an unforgivable for a reason.

**Some prices are just too high, no matter how much you may want the prize. **  
><strong>The one thing you can't trade for your heart's desire is your heart. – Lois McMaster Bujold<strong>

**A/N:** Has anyone else been having problems with line breaks? Mine will randomly not show up (like right here where it would usually be), and it is literally the most frustrating part of the writing process.

Hope everyone enjoyed these two back-to-back updates :) I would really be forever grateful if you left a review, so please go write something in that beautiful box...

|  
>v<p> 


	29. (More Than) Second Chances

**Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. – Confucius**

Aiden is not ready to forgive her right away, not at first. He wakes up hours after she has to find her sitting in a chair by his bed, holding his hand. She is crying. He can tell that she has been crying for a while because of how red her eyes are.

But still, he pulls his hand away from hers. He is not ready to take her back so easily. He isn't ready to be disappointed, to be abandoned again. He has already resolved not to be nice to her again until he knows she is ready to actually stay with him this time, until she is ready to be more than just a fleeting presence in his life.

"I'm so sorry Aiden," Eleanor sobs as his hand moves away, curling her own into a tiny fist.

"For what? What did your bastard boyfriend do his time?" Aiden asks despite the fact that his head is pounding so hard he can barely even summon the energy to breathe.

Eleanor almost cries again, because his words hit too close to home. Even now that she has realized she can't save Tom from his own anger, even now that she's decided she can no longer stand by him, there is a vestige of care for Tom inside her that she think she can never let go of – and that word was the one that had always hurt him most.

"That's not what I'm sorry for. I'm sorry for not believing you when you were telling me the truth that everyone else was too afraid to. I'm sorry for not even considering the possibility that you could be so right."

He finally looks at her and realizes that this time really is different. Whenever she cried in front of him before, it was for herself. It was because she had been through some kind of pain and needed him there to hold her. But he can tell it isn't about her own pain this time – it is about his. The look on her face tells him that she has realized all the pain she has put him through and, for once, she wants to be there for him, not the other way around.

But still, he isn't ready to forget that, when it had really counted, she had walked away from him. She had made a choice between them and, no matter what she said now, that choice hadn't been for him.

"Does it matter if you believe me or not? You're just going to go back to the bastard again as soon as he convinces you that I deserved whatever he and his goons cooked up. So what was it?" She doesn't respond for a minute, so he hisses, "Fine, let me guess. It'll be more fun that way. What was it this time, a stunning spell down the stairs or a poisoned potion?"

"I'm never going to speak to Tom again," Vera whispers, both her hands curling into even tighter fists.

"You really think I'm going to believe that, after all this time?" Aiden actually chuckles when he sees her wince, "Oh, no, _you_ actually believe that, don't you? That means he must have done something even more terrible than usual – I'm at a loss for what could even qualify."

Eleanor glares at the ground, clenching her teeth. She is glad that Madam Pomfrey still hasn't returned from her expedition to London to buy ingredients. She barely even opens her mouth to say, "He cast the cruciatus curse on you. Probably more than once."

"He can't have. We aren't taught to do that," Aiden says in disbelief. He'd only ever read about it, and it sounded horrid. He couldn't imagine how he could have gone through such a thing and not remember it.

"Do you think _he_ needed to be taught?"

"How would you know what he did anyway?"

"He pretty much admitted it to me. I'm so sorry. If I had believed you like I should have, such a terrible thing wouldn't have happened to you. I understand if you're still mad at me – I understand even if you're mad at me forever, even if you never speak to me again. I should have trusted you. I should have at least _listened_ to you, and I didn't. If I had you wouldn't be here now. I just wanted to say that. I'll leave now since you clearly don't want me here. Tell Rose and George I'm sorry too," Eleanor says, standing up.

Just after she turns around, Aiden reaches out and grabs her hands. He can't even look up as he whispers, "It isn't your fault this happened."

"Yes, it is. I put you in danger. I chose not to leave when everyone was telling me to. I chose to believe him even when all the signs said not to."

"Everyone made their choices. I knew what I was doing. I knew how he was. It's not like I had no clue this could happen – that this eventually _would_ happen – when I started being friends with you. I chose to take that risk because I decided knowing you was worth it, so don't blame yourself."

"Is it still worth it?" Eleanor asks, turning back to him, hoping he has somehow forgiven her.

"It could be. Are you really done with him?"

Eleanor reaches up to her neck, unclipping the key necklace Tom had given her months earlier. She throws it aside carelessly, her expression unchanging even as she hears it hit the ground in a distant corner of the hospital wing, "Completely."

They hear shuffling at the door. Eleanor wipes away her last few tears quickly and sits back down.

"Feeling all better Eleanor?" Pomfrey asks while flitting around the cabinets on the wall, looking for one of her cures.

"Yes, I am feeling better," Eleanor says.

"I can always trust Tom to take care of you," Madam Pomfrey walks up with a glass filled with a slimy orange substance, handing it to Aiden. "Here, drink this for the bleeding."

"The bleeding? I don't see any blood!" Aiden exclaims, looking at the mixture skeptically.

"Well that's because it's inside your thick skull," Pomfrey replies with a cunning smile. "Where has Tom gone to? I am surprised he would leave you."

"He had to go to class. I think he had an exam," Eleanor lies as Aiden gulps down the mixture. "Would you mind if I stayed here with Aiden until he can leave?"

"You can stay until dinner since you've already missed most of your classes. I am meeting with your head of house today to discuss options, Aiden, so I will let you know when you will be released afterward."

"I feel fine Madam Pomfrey. Way better than that time I crashed into the goalposts during quidditch, and you let me leave in two hours then!" Aiden points out.

"We will see what Dumbledore has to say about it," Pomfrey says, walking out.

* * *

><p>Aiden falls asleep later because his head hurts even more due to the healing potion. Eleanor lays her head down near his on the bed as she sits on the chair next to him. Her eyes are closed as she reflects on the events of the day, so it must look like she is sleeping.<p>

They are speaking in hushed tones a few feet away, but the room is so quite that Eleanor can still hear every word.

"Well, he's got no memory of the incident, so we can't prove anything," Dumbledore says.

"I know this sounds bad, but he should be grateful for forgetting anyway," Pomfrey admits. "If it really was the cruciatus curse, it must have been a particularly strong and prolonged one to cause effects that extreme. I can't imagine that any fellow student – any wizard that hadn't been practicing dark magic for half a century at the least – could do such damage. The mental effects of carrying such a memory would be devastating."

"Yes, it is hard to imagine a child doing such a thing. Then again, even children are capable of extraordinary things," Dumbledore laments. "I will bring this case up to the headmaster, however, I do not see how there can be any conclusion to our mystery. I believe he should be fine to return to class tomorrow, as long as he is feeling well. Aiden has always been a resilient one."

* * *

><p>Tom does not know what to do. It's been two weeks and they haven't spoken at all. He now understands that her anger wasn't just a temporary outburst and he knows he has to find a way to break her obstinance.<p>

He thinks back to the words he read in a muggle book ages ago – "It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both." He had tried both separately with her. Certainly, love had its place, but now he saw that it could not be used alone. It was too fleeting, too fickle to be relied on. She had loved him, but it had been undermined just because she hadn't realized how that stupid little lion was plotting against him. She hadn't realized Tom was just trying to protect her by cursing him. And that one little misunderstanding had been enough to lose her.

Now was not the time for love, he was sure of that. He could not gain her back so easily anyway, that much was clear. The lions had gotten too far into her head for that. So what was left? Fear. It had worked well enough in the past. He recalled how successful he had been in prying Malfoy out of her life – that was just the kind of success he needed now with the Gryffindors.

He didn't find the idea of hurting Eleanor all too appealing, especially knowing that doing so would likely destroy any remaining feelings she had for him. But there were quite a few people he knew she cared about who he was more than willing to hurt. If there was one thing Tom was truly exceptional at, it was hurting people. The cruciatus curse was child's play.

But first, to prove to her that he has a good side, he decides to give her one more chance to do things the proper way.

Eleanor is sitting at a table in the Three Broomsticks reading a book as she waits for Aiden to come by after quidditch practice when she hears a familiar voice from directly above her.

"Eleanor," Tom says smoothly. "Is this seat taken?"

"I think you ought to leave Tom," Eleanor responds.

He grabs her book, pulling it away from her, forcing her to look up. He's smiling down at her, "You should really be nicer to me, don't you think so?"

"I'll just leave then," Eleanor says, trying to stand up.

Tom slides in next to her, grabbing her arm to hold her down while whispering, "Look around dear, I think you might have a bit of a problem doing so. Besides, I've arranged for your friend to be delayed a while."

Eleanor scans the room, seeing that about half the tables are filled with his cronies and their Slytherin friends. Carrow and Dolohov are noticeably missing, and she knows that can only be because he's assigned the most cruel of his minions to take it out on Rose, George and Aiden if she doesn't play along. Eleanor can tell she's stuck. The second she goes outside, she'll be followed, and Tom can be ten times worse in private.

"I think you ought to leave," Eleanor repeats, tight-lipped.

"Relax," Tom says, reaching his other hand up to sweep her hair away from her face. "I just wanted a chance to explain myself. Don't you think you should at least hear me out, after all the time we've spent together?"

"Don't touch me," she hisses, glaring at him.

"Oh Elle," Tom says, chuckling slightly. "You really should try to understand. That boy made you cry. I was just trying to protect you Eleanor. Like I always have. You know I couldn't allow a boy like that to continue playing with you."

"And how about the dozens of times you've made me cry?"

"Eleanor, I know we've had some problems, but don't you think you could forgive me just this time? I got carried away because I was worried about you."

"This time? What about all the other times? How many times are you going to ask me to forgive you _just_ this time?"

"Eleanor, you know I was always just trying to protect you. Listen to yourself, you've let that boy make you forget everything we've been through together. I've known you since we were four years old and you are going to let some Gryffindor ruin that?" Tom moves closer to her, nearly whispering. "You think some boy whose father read to him before bed and whose mother took care of him when he was sick can understand you better than I can? You would pick such a boy over me, after we grew up together?"

"I am tired of you guilting me into accepting everything you do just because of that. I am done. Leave Tom."

Tom smiles at her, his hand sliding from her arm to her thigh, "You are making me angry Eleanor. You should know better."

"What do you think you're going to do here, in front of the professors?" She snipes, eying the table of teachers in the corner across from them.

He moves impossibly closer, his hand sliding beneath her skirt. He grabs the small of her back with the other hand. He whispers to her, "Do you want to see what I can do Elle?"

She tries to push him away, arms tugging hopelessly at his chest, "Don't touch me."

"Didn't I tell you to relax? If you don't behave better I think your friend may be delayed quite a while."

"You wouldn't dare ruin your perfect reputation."

"How would a little accident ruin _my_ reputation?" Tom says with a smirk, grabbing her hands. "Now why do you always have to start an argument? Can't you just listen to me? I am trying to apologize for the fact that I got a bit too zealous about protecting you. I think you should accept my apology and come back to my room for a real drink."

"Apology not accepted."

"You ought to rethink that Elle. How about you apologize to me right now for all those terrible things you said that morning and I'll just forget the last two weeks of insolence?"

She actually laughs out loud, "No."

Tom grabs her face with his hands, drawing her closer to him, "Eleanor, darling, you know me. So do not make the mistake of hoping that I am exaggerating when I say this. I will kill that boy without even blinking if he continues to threaten the future you and I _will_ have together."

She shivers as he stands up. He looks over his shoulder for just a second as the door opens and Aiden comes in, and then his piercing blue eyes are back on her.

"Remember my offer. It was a generous one, and we both know it. I will see you at dinner tomorrow. That should give you enough time to say a permanent goodbye to the little lions. I love you Elle," Tom says, leaning over the table to kiss her on the cheek.

As he's walking away, Tom simply snaps and Black, Nott, Greengrass and his other servants stand up to follow him out. She catches Aiden and Tom glaring at each other as they pass.

"Sorry I'm late, Dolohov kept me with questions about the match next week," Aiden says, sitting down in the spot Tom had previously occupied. "What was that about?"

"Maybe you should cancel the match next week," Eleanor mutters, hands fiddling with her glass.

"Is that what that was about? He threatened to do something during the game?"

"No, no, I just think it might be wise. You shouldn't speak to Dolohov again either."

"I know Dolohov is one of his pawns, but I have to do my job as quidditch captain. I can't just cancel a match because your ex-boyfriend is still holding a grudge, especially the last one of the year that the scouts will all be attending."

She finally looks up at him and he sees that she's on the verge of tears. "Can we go back to your room before we talk about this?"

Aiden helps her up, "Of course."

* * *

><p>"Oh god, what am I going to do now?" Eleanor whispers, collapsing on his bed as soon as he closes the door.<p>

"What do you mean?" Aiden asks, sitting next to her.

"He's never going to leave me alone. He might be arrogant enough to think I'll give in for a few days, but once he realizes that I really don't intend to return to him, he'll do anything to make me," she says, voice laden with anguish.

"So don't let him make you," Aiden answers simply, taking her hand.

"I don't have a choice."

"You always have a choice."

"I don't, Aiden, not really. I can give in now and have to go back to dealing with him. Or I can wait until he hurts everyone I care about – George, Rose, you – and then give in anyway when I can't take it anymore."

"There's a reason the three of us are in Gryffindor. We are not going to ask you to go back to that bastard just to save our own hides. We can handle ourselves."

She locks eyes with him, "He said he was going to kill you."

"At a school with dozens of witnesses? Lena, you know there's no way he could get away with that."

"Aiden, he's _Tom Riddle_. He nearly drove you mad with the cruciatus curse and got away with it. He can do it. I could hear in his voice that he could. He'll kill you and he'll cast the imperius curse on me and no one will ever know."

"Then we won't give him a chance to do anything. He wouldn't dare do it in public, so we just have to stay around enough people that it'll be impossible."

"How? There's no way for us to be safe from him while we're stuck inside this castle every day, let alone while I share a common room with him. And even if we do manage to avoid him, most of the Slytherins would do anything for him."

"We could try telling one of the professors."

"They would never believe us – we have no proof, and Tom is everyone's best student," Eleanor says despondently.

"I'll figure something out Eleanor. Please don't worry about it right now," Aiden reassures her.

He takes her hands and they sink into a restful sleep together.

* * *

><p>Rose, being the top student and senior prefect of Gryffindor, has her own room. They get the house elves to bring up an extra bed and make a makeshift living space for Eleanor.<p>

The room is rather small for two girls, but it is still infinitely better than the threat of seeing Tom. She knows that the second she steps foot in the Slytherin common room, she will be susceptible to all of Tom's plotting and trickery again – to his false apologies and his false friends, who will ensnare her in a surveillance so stiff that she may never again be able to escape the high fireplaces of that green room. It scares her to wonder what he's going to do next, but for now she hopes that staying as far away from him as possible will make it harder for him. She and Aiden haven't come up with a plan yet, so it surprises her that Tom didn't try anything immediately after she didn't shown up for dinner that day.

Even the Slytherins under his control aren't doing anything particularly cruel to her, which is to say that she can deal with a few knocks in the hallway and glares at meal time, especially since the Gryffindors hardly treated her any better. Of course the lions didn't like her, of course they didn't _trust_ her, of course they assumed she'd been complicate in all of his misdeeds for the last six years.

Which is why Eleanor is not all that surprised when Dumbledore calls her aside after class on Friday, a week after she moved in with Rose, and says, "A few Gryffindors have expressed concern over the fact that you don't seem to be sleeping in your own house. Would you like to explain why you have suddenly decided you would not like to be in Slytherin?"

"I just wanted to spend more time with my friends. I didn't realize the occasional sleepover was against the rules," Eleanor says.

"The problem seems to be that it isn't so occasional," he says, raising an eyebrow at her.

She lies. Of course she lies. She isn't ready to give Tom up yet. And she definitely is not ready to ask for the help of a man she only questionably trusts to teach her basic spells. Something had always seemed off about him – he is just a bit too curious, a little too cheerful and much too kind. Eleanor believed that people were only that way when they were hiding all the things that make them unhappy.

"Tom and the other Slytherins are mad at me. They think I was leaking quidditch secrets to Aiden, so they refuse to let me back into the common room. They changed the password and no one's told me what it is yet."

Dumbledore knows there is something not quite right about her story, but decides not to push her further. From past experience, she won't tell him the truth anyway. Instead he pretends to go along with it, "Ah, yes, I haven't seen you and Tom speaking for a while. I am surprised that he could be so upset with you given the depth of the friendship you two have."

Eleanor shrugs, forcing a smile, "I am sure he will be over it soon. Do you have any other concerns professor?"

"Not currently. Have a good day Ms. Jouteur. Tell Tom I send my greetings when you do speak to him again."

"Of course professor."

Eleanor's mind is racing as she walks out. She gives Tom another week at most before he demands her attention again, likely much more violently this time. And she still does not know what to do when that time comes.

* * *

><p>The next day, Rose and George dress up for the Gryffindor v. Slytherin game as Eleanor watches from the corner of the room.<p>

"Stop looking so sad!" George yells, looking over at her as she hides behind a book.

"Stop moving, I have to finish the lion," Rose mutters, sweeping a reddened brush artfully along his cheek.

"I am not sad, I just have no desire to watch this game."

"Oh, is that because that prat will probably be there? Just throw on one of my scarves and show him which house is boss! You should have been a gryff all along," George exclaims with a laugh.

"She isn't going because Aiden refused to cancel the game," Rose says bluntly despite knowing Eleanor doesn't want to talk about it.

"Why would Aiden cancel the game?" George asks, raising an eyebrow.

"So he doesn't get hurt, obviously," Eleanor answers softly, burying her face even deeper inside the novel she has been reading.

"She's just being paranoid," Rose says, rolling her eyes.

"You are letting Riddle ruin your fun. I thought we agreed not to do that anymore," George says, placing a hand on his hip as he stands up.

Eleanor throws down her book with a sigh, "Fine, I will go to the game if you just stop talking about this. But I refuse to dress up."

* * *

><p>Three hours into the game, the Gryffindors finally close the seemingly unbreakable lead the Slytherins held during the first hour, thanks in part to seven goals scored by Aiden. The Gryffindors are ahead by fifty points when Aiden takes possession of the quaffle yet again, then quickly shoots up to avoid the Slytherins as he advances on the goalposts. Aiden is about 150 feet up in the air when his broom starts wavering erratically, jostling him back and forth and then up and down. He inevitably loses his grip.<p>

The trio of friends – Eleanor, George, Rose – all stand at the same moment, gasping as Aiden hangs off of the broom with both hands. Rose raises her wand to do some kind of spell, but Eleanor stops her. She spent endless nights with Tom, learning the same spells and reading the same books. She must know this somewhere in her mind. It comes to her as soon as she takes out her wand, and she regains control of the broom and makes it stop moving just as one of Aiden's hands slip loose.

It's the first time she's ever stopped one of Tom's spells.

All of Aiden's teammates are racing over to try to catch him on their own brooms. The Slytherins aren't making it easy for them though. Eleanor releases the breath she's holding as she sees Dorea Potter break through Dolohov's barricade and approach Aiden. Except at that very moment a bludger swings around and hits Aiden straight in the stomach. He instinctively reaches for his abdomen and starts plunging toward the ground rapidly. She actually swears out loud.

And Aiden thought Tom wouldn't kill him for fear of too many people noticing. Now he was doing it here, in front of everyone at the school.

Panicking, Eleanor does the _arresto momentum _spell to slow Aiden's motion. Seeing the bludger again heading toward Aiden, she signals to Rose while keeping her wand in place. As Eleanor focuses on Aiden, Rose explodes the bludger and George summons Aiden's broom toward him.

What Eleanor forgets is that Tom is the brightest wizard of his age.

She feels her arm burning terribly and has to drop her wand before quickly pulling up her sleeve to reveal the scar from the poker, the bright red snake actively writhing on her arm. She actually cries out in pain, distracting Rose and George for a second.

Aiden is still fifty feet from the ground. The second bludger slams into him and he begins falling faster again. Eleanor, crying from the pain now, nearly bent over the railing of the Gryffindor stands, manages to bring her wand far enough up to cast the spell again, but she keeps twitching, the spell keeps faltering. Aiden finally hits the ground, faster than she had hoped, and there is a resounding crack as his arm and ribs break.

All of this took two minutes or so in real life, but it seemed like forever to her. The pain in her arm is still going, becoming worse by the second as she feels it spreading over her entire body. She feels like passing out but she knows she can't. She throws off her own cloak and tears a swat of fabric off, quickly doing the _aguamenti_ spell onto it and then tying the now-wet fabric around the active scar.

George blocks her as she's trying to rush down the stairs, "Lena, you need to go to the Hosp…"

"I need to see Aiden. I will be fine," Eleanor says stubbornly, pushing her way past and running down the stairs.

She's breathing heavily from the pain and the effort as she reaches the quidditch pitch, but that doesn't stop her from racing out onto the field and into the crowd of players. The Slytherins, standing on the edge, all lear at her as she pushes through. Even the Gryffindors don't seem quite happy to have her there as she drops to the ground next to Aiden, watching him cradle his arm and curse. Even the stands are full of chaos as everyone tries to see what is happening on the ground, students crowding the railings in hopes of getting a view of the action while the teachers in attendance try to contain them.

"It's not as bad as it looks love," Aiden manages to say through gritted teeth.

Eleanor rolls her eyes, "Now is not the time to try to be brave."

He reaches out with his still good arm, tugging the fabric on her arm down and staring at the red snake, "Same goes for you."

"It doesn't hurt that…" before she can finish her sentence, there's a sudden surge in the pain, as if the fresh-from-the-flames poker is still at her arm. Eleanor doubles over him, just managing to push the cloth up to cover the burn in case one of the teachers sees it. She buries her face in his shoulder as she feels like a knife is being repeatedly stabbed through her entire arm. All she manages to say is "Fuck."

The curse lessens just as Pomfrey reaches them. She leans down to Aiden first, examining his arm before signaling to the boys holding the stretcher. Eleanor struggles to stand. Pomfrey looks at her oddly, "Are you feeling alright Eleanor?"

"I must just be overwhelmed by the shock of it all," she says, trying not to wince or grab her arm as she follows Pomfrey to the hospital wing. Only once they are inside the castle does the curse wear off.

**Things do not change; we change. – Henry David Thoreau**

* * *

><p><strong>To the readers who have stuck with me:<strong> This is about the 2/3rds mark of the story, so I feel this is a good time to say thank you for reaching this point. Writing this story has been a saga in itself, one that I am well over three years and 100,000 words into. I know the long waits for updates and periods of inactivity have been frustrating. Writing for fun while in college was a task I was not up to, but writing these few chapters during the summer has made me wish I made the time for it all along. Getting back into the story and voicing these little people I have imagined in my head has been incredibly stimulating. It lights up my heart every time one of you review, and writing this story makes me love the complex themes of the Harry Potter series even more. Hopefully we can finish strong and you all can finally read the ending you've been waiting so long for.

In other news, I started a tumblr with quotes and stuff I find interesting. It's my own personal blog and it doesn't have much on it yet, but if you'd like to interact with me (to ask questions about my fanfics or be friends or whatever) my tumblr is _littlephoenixwings._

I was going to end this on a cliffhanger but decided to give you guys the full thing. Hope you liked it and, as always, _I would love_ for you to review right down there. :)


	30. The Monster Within

Aiden's arm was smashed into so many fragments that they have to take out all the bones and regrow them again. His ribs were cracked, necessitating an intense regime of healing spells and potions to make them whole again. In the end, he's in the hospital wing for only two days – he refuses to stay any longer for fear that Tom's next target will be Eleanor herself.

Eleanor has been sitting next to him almost the entire time, only jumping out to fetch them both food. Madam Pomfrey writes down all the spells and potions for her to give to Aiden before dismissing him just after lunch on Monday. Instead of going back to class, they hole up in the Room of Requirement.

"Is everything alright?" Aiden asks, holding her hand as they sit across from each other.

"I wouldn't say it's alright, but I think it will be," she replies.

"What made you decide that?"

She blushes, looking down at their hands, "Before you convinced me otherwise, I thought I was weak. I thought I could never stand up to him – my magic just wasn't good enough, _I _wasn't good enough. But you worked so hard to make me see that wasn't true. When you were on the pitch, the magic just took over and I was doing spells I never thought I could master. That made me realize that I'm strong enough to protect myself. I don't have a reason to be afraid of him. He's just a bully and, no matter how much he tries to scare me, I know that we can get through this."

"Yeah, everything's going to be fine," Aiden says, trying to reassure her with a smile even though he can feel himself almost frozen with fear. He is glad she feels safe, but he can never be sure she actually is. There are some things a person can't protect against, some things a person cannot face alone. Aiden fears the day when Tom Riddle is desperate enough to use such things on her. His Gryffindor spirit, naturally averse to fear, had shied away from it for so long that he hadn't realized the now very real consequences of taking away the only thing that a person who has nothing else except power loves.

Eleanor sees that he's distracted but thinks he's just tired. She stands up, "Why don't I go and get us some coffee and then meet you in the common room so that we can catch up on the work we missed?"

Aiden's uninjured arm shoots out, grabbing hers forcefully. He doesn't want her to go somewhere alone when he knows that Riddle could be lurking anywhere, ready to strike. In an attempt to keep his fear concealed to avoid worrying her, he stutters, "I wanted to ask you something first."

Her smile grows as she looks down at him, "What is it?"

He feels as if his eyes are sparkling when he looks at her. He had the question on his mind for a few days, but still hadn't decided how to put it. Well, its now or never, he guesses, "It feels like we've done this a dozen times now, but … will you be my girlfriend?"

She laughs, bouncing back onto the bed next to him. He assumes this is a bad sign until she reaches up and takes his face in her hands, kissing him.

"I thought you would never ask. I'm glad you did."

"Really?" Aiden says, unable to hide his surprise. She had always been so reluctant before.

"I wanted you to ask for the last few days. It's just that … I was so terrible to you. I thought I was lucky just to get another chance to be friends with you. I thought I didn't deserve a second chance to get a boy like you."

"Love, those things are already forgiven. We have both said and done our share of stupid things while we have known each other. Let's just start again now that there's none of that holding us back."

"You are the most stubborn, charming, and wonderful boy I have ever met," Eleanor says with a grin, embracing him.

Even as he's kissing her, he knows one thing is still keeping him from forgetting the past – the threats they are facing because of it. He doesn't want to wreck her confidence, to spoil the happiness of the moment, but he knows he has to do something to ensure the future they are building together will last.

* * *

><p>Aiden walks down the hallway again, almost turning down the staircase. Instead, he turns around for what feels like the fiftieth time and starts back toward the door. What he does not expect is for it to open this time.<p>

"Is there something you would like to talk to me about Aiden?" Dumbledore says, his wise eyes twinkling in the light.

"Uh…" Aiden pauses. He knows what he wants to say, and he knows how mad she will be if he does. Even if Eleanor is no longer speaking to Tom, even if she is as mad as she can be at him, he knows she will never tell anyone all that he had done. And she won't tolerate him telling it either. "I don't think so."

Dumbledore's brows furrrowed as if he is confused, but the slight smile on his face reveals he knows Aiden is holding back. "Are you sure? I just assumed that since you have been pacing outside my office for the last hour and a half you have something to say."

"Well…" he hesitates again but decides to speak up before he builds up the courage to leave. "I did want to ask you for some advice. It's for a friend at another school."

"Come right in," Dumbledore responds, holding the door open. Aiden sits across from his desk, still almost shaking with nervousness. "Do you want some tea?"

"No, thank you."

"So what does your friend need advice about?"

"He had a disagreement with a classmate who seems to be looking for a bit of revenge, and he isn't sure how to respond."

"Ah, so your friend is dealing with a bully then. Why doesn't he ask his teachers for help in addressing the situation?"

"The boy who is bullying him is one of the best students, very well-liked by all the teachers. He's afraid no one would believe him."

"That is a bit of a dilemma," Dumbledore says with a pondering look. "What has he been doing about it so far?

"Avoiding the boy."

"I can see how that would be difficult in a school environment," Dumbledore stands, rummaging through a bookshelf near his desk. "You know, it's rare for a bully to only have one victim. Sometimes students can gain more from their fellows than from their teachers."

Aiden thinks about what's he's just said and it clicks. Tom wouldn't dare do anything in front of a few witnesses, in case it would jeopardize his status as the school's golden boy. There are a lot of witnesses in the Gryffindor house alone, and quite a few of them have been victimized by Tom or his friends at one point. Its just that none of them had come together to stop it before.

"People are always more powerful together," Dumbledore remarked. "Was that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Yes, it was. Thank you professor."

"You should have come in earlier, it would have been much more time efficient for you," Dumbledore jokes. "And besides, Fawkes seems to have missed you while you were in the hospital."

Aiden smiles, following Dumbledore over to the bird's place in the corner of the room. He reaches out and touches Fawkes head gently. The bird moves closer to him.

"I've missed him too," Aiden says, grinning.

"That was quite a fall you took. The headmaster had your broom inspected and there seems to be nothing wrong with the enchantments on it, or on the surviving bludger."

Aiden shrugs, looking away, "Must have been a freak accident."

"Dippet doesn't want you flying again until he gets to the bottom of it."

"He can't do that, we have practice tomorrow! The only game left is the House Cup and I know we'll win."

"It appears you will not be participating."

"It was just an accident. The broom was probably confused. It's old. I'll have my parents send a new one immediately, and replace the bludger too."

"Are you sure that's all it could have been?" Dumbledore asks softly but persistently.

"I'm sure."

"You were lucky Eleanor was there."

Aiden blushes, "I know."

"You were lucky she knew the right spells."

He looks down, biting his lip, "I know."

"You might not be so lucky next time."

He looks straight at Fawkes, not wanting to betray himself to Dumbledore, "It won't happen again. It was just a freak accident, something that happens one in a million times."

"How are you and Tom getting along?"

"We don't speak," Aiden says bluntly.

"That's odd. I thought since you were around Eleanor so much and he's always with Eleanor…" Dumbledore trails off, clearly trying to imply something.

"He and Eleanor are no longer friends."

"Ah, he's still mad about their quidditch argument?"

Aiden pretends to know what he is talking about, "I think so."

"Well, I am sure he'll get over it during the summer."

"What?"

"They spend the entire summer together – at the orphanage."

"Oh, right."

Dumbledore chuckles, "My dear boy, you really are smitten, aren't you?"

Aiden smiles a little, "I really am, huh?"

"I will try to convince Dippet to let you practice," Dumbledore fills a small bowl with water and holds it up to Fawkes. "Phoenixes become loyal to the first wizard they see after their rebirth. That's why people assume I am Fawkes' master. However, it isn't so simple – phoenixes can choose to leave. If their wizard isn't treating them well, they just fly off, erupt in flames and make a new life for themselves."

"Fawkes would never leave you," Aiden says with a smile.

"Yes, he and I are old friends by this time. Now, I think you better be heading back to your common room before I have to dock points for missing curfew."

"Thank you, professor. Have a good night."

* * *

><p>The back room of the Hog's Head is bustling with people talking at various volumes. George sees the frustrated look on Aiden's face and yells out, "Hey, everyone shut up!"<p>

The volume gets a bit lower, but people are still talking in whispers. Rose steps forward, tapping her wand on the table and shooting up a series of purple sparks. In a much more proper voice, she says, "You heard him, be _quiet_."

Aiden waits for a second as everyone looks back at them. He tries his best not to sound disheartened as he says, "Look, I know not all of you are very fond of her. Hell, I know not one of you would lay yourselves down to protect her right now. I don't blame you guys for it. Yes, she's technically a Slytherin. Yes, she was friends with Riddle for years. But that doesn't change the one thing that should really matter – the fact that I love her. I hope that all of you care about me enough that that will be a good reason for you."

There are a few grumbles but no sounds of dissent now, so he continues.

"We've all been victims of Tom Riddle and his gang at one point or another. This is our chance to say no more. I know I'm asking you to protect her and me, but the things we learn and the power we gain by joining together will help everyone in our house. So, if you don't want to finally stand up to that arsehole, you can leave right now."

No one stands up. The room rests in silence for a while.

"Okay, let's get started then. I officially inaugurate the first Order of the Phoenix. We will hold trainings in the Room of Requirement after classes on Wednesdays and Fridays. Anyone is welcome to attend. If you'd like to help teach anything, please let me know. Rose has spelled some quills so we can send messages to each other. They're gold so you can tell them apart. Whenever one of us uses our quill to write a message, the rest of the quills will shake. In order for the message to be written out, you must touch the quill to paper and write a secret code. The code this week is chocolate frogs."

* * *

><p>Tom Riddle is very, <em>very<em> displeased. Not only did his plan to brutally maim the prat fail, it seems as if it has actually driven them closer. Eleanor had never openly stopped one of his spells before. She could have all along, probably, but she'd never defended herself when he cursed her or tried to break his binding spells or anything like that. He was sure she had never even considered the possibility of doing so before. Before that prat entered her life and made her forget what proper behavior was.

He attempts to see her. Surely she's had enough of this little game. Surely she'll come running back to him now, scared, realizing what he is really capable of. It won't save the boy. It won't save her either. But surely she will come back, because she knows the punishment will be less severe than if she does not. Maybe he won't curse the git _all_ the way to madness. Maybe he won't cast the imperius curse on her and have her do it instead. Though he'll probably stick with that last part.

But every time he attempts to approach her, he's foiled by some Gryffindor or another hanging around her, redirecting her around a different hallway or turning the staircase around. She seems to be surrounded by at least four or five at them at any time. This from the house that had shunned her just a few weeks ago.

Then, one warm day in late March, they walk into the Great Hall for dinner holding hands. Nearly the entire room falls to silence. Tom Riddle's ex-girlfriend, dating a Gryffindor. It seemed more like a bad joke than a real possibility. Eleanor had run around with enough boys that everyone had thought she was just playing, playing with the little lions to get back at Tom for some grand offense, as she always did. Everyone knew normal boys bored her. None had lasted more than a few weeks, but none had been Gryffindors. Tom Riddle's queen had fled to another kingdom, to another king.

Tom hid his reaction all through dinner, but he was more than enraged. He nearly blew up the prefect's bathroom. This had all gone much too far. Too far for any apologies. Too far for the punishment to be any less than killing her little pet, and he would be sure to succeed in the future. The only problem is that he knows the teachers' attention will still be up because of the quidditch incident, so he has to do it more discreetly. Which is not really much of a problem, because it means he gets to try out his new pet.

* * *

><p>The Great Hall is buzzing, and for the first time in a month it isn't about where Eleanor and Aiden had been spotted kissing that day. Dippet stands, shushing the students.<p>

"As some of you have already heard, something very unfortunate has happened at Hogwarts today. A third-year Ravenclaw was found petrified in his dorm bathroom this morning. I assure you that the entire staff is working hard to get to the bottom of this, and that we will ensure all students are safe until the culprit is caught. Dinner will be ending at 7 p.m. today, and the prefects will escort everyone in their house directly back to their common room. Professors will be doing head counts every hour to ensure that no student leaves. During the day, please stay in groups of at least three people. If you think you may know anything about this occurrence or need to speak to anyone about it, please feel free to come to my office to talk. That is all. Enjoy your dessert."

Tom resists a smirk as he stands to lead the Slytherins in his year to their common room. Head counts on the hour? How helpful. Just enough time, and the perfect alibi.

He drops all the students off, lingering for a few minutes to supervise and arrange watch schedules with the other prefects. He offers to take the first shift, and settles down in an armchair with an essay and the twin notebook he shares with Eleanor.

_Darling, this is the tenth and last time I write to you. I know you still look at this__.__ I__'__ve seen the ink-drops you accidentally leave. I love you. Come back. You know I can do worse than a broom trick, and your new friends will only be able to protect you for so long._

Tom checks back after finishing his essay. It's already 10 p.m., which means that many of the students have already gone to bed. There's still no answer from her, so he scribbles again:

_Just remember, I am doing this all for you._

"Professor, I know it's late, but I can't sleep. The girl that was petrified today – we were dating. It was going to be our three month anniversary on Saturday. Now I don't even know if she'll be awake for it," Dolohov laments to Slughorn during his hourly checkin, his voice starting to quiver at the end. Tom had to give him credit. He was surely the best actor in the gang.

"There, there," Slughorn says half-heartedly, clearly uncomfortable. "I believe Dippet is still speaking with students. Tom, my boy, will you please take Dolohov up to the headmaster's office?"

Tom smiles, "Of course. I suppose I'll just finish my essay later."

"Be careful you two," Slughorn says as they leave.

"Wonderful performance," Tom whispers after they are a few feet away from the common room.

"I think I shall cry this time. That fool will surely buy it," Dolohov replies before scoffing. "As if I'd ever really be interested in a mudblood. Worst three dates ever."

"Enjoy your chat with Dippet," Tom says with a smirk. "I will be back in 20 minutes."

Tom takes the secret passage down to the second floor and then enters the chamber. He smiles upon seeing his pet. He'd discovered it nearly a year ago and had been visiting occasionally since.

"Good job today," Tom says in parseltongue, petting the basilisk.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yesterday was my birthday, so this is a bit of a belated gift for you guys. I know it took me a long time to update but I'm dealing with a lot of stuff right now – I had pretty much the worst month ever :(

You know what would cheer me up? If you gave me a belated gift in the form of a nice, detailed review! As always, thanks for reading.


	31. Our Demons

_**Warning: Character death, though it is not explicitly ****described.**_

**The bullet we're running from is almost never the one that hits us. – Toby Barlow**

A resounding thud echoes as the bodies hit the ground, and Tom rushes in to witness his triumph only to be disappointed.

_No._ He knows he had only had one chance to get this right. There was no way the professors would allow the school to remain open after two unsolved deaths. Yet both hadn't even been the intended targets.

Tom had sent the snake on its final mission, now that enough students had been petrified for it all to seem like a coincidence. He had figured out the stupid Gryffindor's class schedule and was following a group of ten or so sixth-years discretely using a disillusionment charm when they had split up. He had thought it had been Aiden who entered the second floor girl's bathroom to cheer up Myrtle after she ran in there crying over something Olive Hornby had said. But, as was now very evident, it hadn't been.

In a fit of rage, he blows up the toilet next to the girl. Floods of water creep forth, threatening to get on his robes. Tom turns and sweeps away, moving down the hallways carefully. His one chance – _ruined_.

Dippet will close the school and send him back to the orphanage, no doubt without her. No, that damned lion will get her again, just like he did over the holidays. She will have someplace to go – she will have the new home she has made with the new family that she so desperately wants to be a part of. And he will be alone, back at the place he hates so much.

* * *

><p>Everyone's at dinner when Olive Hornby runs in screaming, "Headmaster … dead … Myrtle and George."<p>

Rose, Aiden and Eleanor all hold their breath simultaneously. They were wondering where he had run off to. But no, it can't be it. Maybe he's just petrified like the others. Maybe they misheard the name. They probably misheard. Or maybe it's another George. It can't be their George. They were all so careful.

After being frozen in thought for a minute, they each look at each other and then stand up, running past Olive and up the staircase. They're too late. The teachers have already closed the bathroom off. Dumbledore is standing in front of the door, a grave expression on his face.

"George?" Rose manages to ask.

Dumbledore frowns and solemnly says, "Yes."

"Petrified?" She whispers, still holding onto hope.

Dumbledore looks down at the ground and shakes his head a bit before answering, "No."

Before Aiden and Eleanor can catch her, Rose starts running up the next staircase, trying to get to Gryffindor Tower. They are all holding back tears, but they still run after her and finally catch up with her in front of the portrait hole.

Eleanor tries to reach forward and hug Rose, attempting to comfort her, "We're all going to miss him so much."

Rose pushes her away, screaming, "Stop. You don't have the right to be sad over this. You could have stopped all of this from happening. But no, you wanted to be happy. You knew what he would do to us, and you decided you were more important."

Aiden starts trying to defend Eleanor after seeing the devastated look on her face, "Rose, you don't know it was him. And besides, you know she didn't ask…"

Rose turns on him now, "Who else would it be? Aiden, I know what you are going to say, and don't you dare. The person you love is here. She's _alive_. And because of her, the person I love isn't. You don't think that's a bit selfish? I mean, she led that prat on for years. She let him fall in love with her. She made him think she loved him and then you came along and she decided she wanted you instead, so to hell with it. To hell with the fact that she knew Tom Riddle would do anything for her. Now, for her happiness, everyone else has to suffer."

Eleanor finally manages to speak up, "Rose, please, you know I didn't want anything like this to happen."

Rose rounds on her again, "Is that going to bring him back? No, but as long as you two can go frolicking off into the sunset, who cares, right? Who cares if that murderous fucker just killed two people? Who cares if he nearly killed Aiden twice now? And who cares that he isn't going to stop? I'm sure we'll all be fine though, because your fucking love will save the day. Love conquers all, right? Even a dark wizard hell bent on ruining everyone's lives until he has you back in his arms. I know it sounds cruel to tell you to go back to the bastard who abused you – but hey, at least he didn't murder _you_. And we all know he could have by now."

Eleanor watches her walk away before letting her own tears fall. She sits down against the wall and curls up into herself, not even lifting her head when Aiden sits next to her. After a while, she says, "Maybe she's right. Maybe I should just go back."

"This could have been anyone. I mean, do you seriously think he'd bother petrifying seven people just to get to me? Do you think he's got the patience for that? Rose is just angry. We don't even know for certain that this is his fault, so you are definitely not to blame."

She bites her lip. She doesn't want to say anything out loud, because what if she's wrong? But she's had a weird feeling about this whole thing all along. Petrifying seven people in order to cover his tracks is just the kind of thing Tom would have the foresight to do, isn't it? But then again, how could he possibly? There was no spell that could do this; the teachers had said that much already. She'd been around him for so long, she'd know if he was hiding some monster or something. Nothing makes any sense, which only makes it more suspicious because of course he'd want it to be that way. But perhaps she's just going insane.

"So what if this wasn't him, you know it's only a matter of time before the next thing is."

"Then we will face it, head on, once it arrives."

"And what if we lose someone else? George … I already … I can't even believe … I'm fine with being unhappy if it keeps everyone else safe. I'm sure you'll find someone else soon enough."

"Darling, I don't want someone else. I want you," he says, reaching out to hold her hand, ignoring the fact that her fingertips are still wet from tears.

"That's what you think right now, but I'm sure you'll change your mind soon enough," she responds calmly, as if she has completely detached herself from the situation. One of her best friends just died, and she is just trying to get through this. She is just trying to carve out a future for them that does not involve another death or the constant fear of one. There is no space for sentiment in the small, rational part of her brain that she has sheltered herself within.

"I'm never going to change my mind. I love you. This probably isn't the most romantic time to tell you that, but I want you to understand that I will fight for you with everything I have."

"Then you'll just lose it all. It doesn't make any sense to try so hard."

"Yes it does. That's what love is."

"Isn't love about wanting someone to be happy? I want you to be happy. And we are never going to have that."

"That's the thing – I can't be happy without you. If it's what you really want, we can separate at this very moment and never speak with each other again. We will both move on, and you will probably marry him, and I will probably marry some woman my parents set me up with, and we will both be alive and miserable. Is that what you want?"

"I don't know what I really want," she whispers, finally looking up at him. "I love you too. I'm sorry I didn't say that earlier."

"You didn't have to," Aiden responds, pulling her to him and wiping away the rest of her tears.

"I have to prepare a service here. Rose won't be able to. Do you think she'll ever forgive me?"

"She's just hurt. I'm sure she'll come around with time. She knows it isn't your fault."

Isn't it though? Eleanor thinks as she rests her head on his shoulder.

* * *

><p>A few days later, Rose apologizes to her for jumping to conclusions, and they all grieve their loss together through cleaning out his things to be taken home and planning a ceremony for the school. His parents come to visit and they all meet them, they all cry together watching their funny, kind, unbelievably selfless boy leaving Hogwarts well before his time. The headmaster finds the real monster and expels the student who cared for it and they settle back into a routine that feels mostly empty but at least a little familiar.<p>

* * *

><p>Dumbledore watches the first-years whizzing around on their brooms on the training grounds below his office. Life at Hogwarts has quickly returned to normal, it seems. Students are running around the castle as usual, the hospital wing is nearly always empty, and the sounds of conversation fill the common rooms – but there is a solemn air to the whole thing that he knows will linger.<p>

The young professor lifts his glass, taking a sip of scotch as he thinks back to six years earlier, shortly after he had begun his teaching career. He remembers how George had walked into Hogwarts with his eyes downcast and had not looked up for the first few weeks. He hadn't been excited about being sorted into Gryffindor – he hadn't even made any friends. Even Rose, the only Gryffindor muggle-born in her year, had quickly taken to wizarding life and had joined the group that had immediately formed around Aiden.

As the head of house, Dumbledore had been watching George curiously. For those first few weeks, he wasn't sure if the boy had even spoken with anyone since he had arrived at school. Then, at dinner on Halloween, Aiden suddenly sat down next to George. Rose was the only one of his friends who followed suit right away. They started talking to him, laughing with him, seemingly getting him to leave his shell. It was good. Dumbledore was sure he would do fine now that he had made a few friends. But a few days later, George showed up at his office;

_Nervous, he fidgeted as he sat in the visitor's chair, "Professor, I don't think I belong in Gryffindor."_

"_Why is that?"_

"_I'm not brave at all."_

"_Why do you think so?"_

George told him his life story. He was a half-blood, but his mother was a witch and had been married to a wizard before. He had two older siblings, but they'd gone to another school. After his mum fell in love again, she married a muggle and had him. His father found out about the magic his brother and sister could do and kicked them out of the house for their evil powers. His mother left with them, but George, the seemingly normal child, was left with his father. From seven to ten years old, he had never been brave enough to speak up about it. He had sat in his room, hiding under the curtains as he practiced small spells like making things change color, but during the daytime he pretended to agree with his father. Until the day his father died in a car crash, he'd never been brave enough to speak up and defend his mum or his siblings or even himself. And so he felt that, although he was back in the magical world, he did not belong there. He felt like his powers should be taken away from him for what he had said about his family and their magic.

Dumbledore asked him if he would like to leave the school. He said no. He wanted to be with his new friends. So the professor reminded him that bravery was not just something you always had or didn't have – everyone had the capacity for it, and it was just about whether or not they decided to use it. The Sorting Hat was very rarely wrong about the decision one would make.

Indeed, throughout the rest of his years at Hogwarts, George utilized that bravery not only to get up to mischief but also to comfort the students who most needed it. The boisterous boy seemed confident and happy in public, but he could just as easily sit quietly next to someone crying because of a bully and make them feel better with one joke.

Dumbledore's thoughts shifted to another boy as he lifted up the old diary on his desk. He flipped back a few pages, away from the entries about George, to his entry about the day he had first met a very different boy. But he was not thinking of this boy as he had been – he was thinking of what he would be.

The professor strongly suspects that Tom Riddle's story about who was responsible for the plague unleashed on the school is false. He cannot prove it, which is why he doesn't bother to bring his concerns to Dippet. However, he can see how angry Tom is, how singularly focused he is on Eleanor and the fact that he has lost her. Only a few months ago, Dumbledore had thought it would be wise to separate them. He had thought he could give Eleanor the freedom she had never had and that perhaps the loss would weaken Tom enough to distract him from his gang and their activities.

Dumbledore now acknowledges that he was wrong. The loss had only seemed to make Tom more determined to do whatever it took to achieve whatever twisted goals Dumbledore suspected he had. He had made the grave mistake of underestimating the childhood friendship as simply that instead of seeing what lay at the heart of it. And, now, after seeing the devastating results of an angry and abandoned Tom Riddle, Dumbledore knows that his care for the little girl he had met that day, his wish to give her a happy life full of choice, is not as important as whatever other lives will be lost to afford her that chance.

'_For the greater good'_ – the phrase makes him cringe now, but that does not mean he does not believe in it anymore. He just doesn't believe in sacrificing thousands for the ideals of a few. But sacrificing one for the well-being of thousands, will that really be so bad? So, she will never be happy. So, she will be trapped with Tom, and Dumbledore knows very well what that means, because he is the only teacher not as blind to it all as he pretends to be. Perhaps true love is not meant for some people. Perhaps some people are meant to give their own lives up so everyone else's can be better. Dumbledore had done so, and now he knows he has no choice but to make her see that path.

* * *

><p>Tom approaches her after the small service they had held to say goodbye. The Gryffindors around her tighten their circle, but she waves them away. If there's a time she has to face him, she knows it's now. He stands on the path that leads down to the lake, and she walks out to him, telling everyone else to go inside. Telling them that she doesn't care what Aiden said, she can do this. She has to do this. She follows him down the path, and neither of them say a word. She doesn't even look at him.<p>

They reach the familiar oak tree beside the lake and he finally says, "I'm sorry about what happened to your friend."

She pretends to believe for a second that he didn't do it. She wants so badly to be able to make that belief last. "Thank you."

He's fiddling with his sleeve, looking just like the nervous boy she had approached on the lawn of the orphanage when they were four years old. He mutters, "I think I overreacted. I couldn't accept that you didn't love me and I did some horrid things to try to get you back. But I realized, in the last month, that everything I was doing was just out of anger. I was approaching the situation in completely the wrong way. I was just driving you farther away by refusing to let you be with him. I'm sorry for that Elle. I don't think I can ever express how much I regret losing control. Even if you can't love me, I want you to be happy. I want us to be friends, but I can understand if you can't forgive me for the things I've done."

She's wary. She's heard plenty of false apologies from him before. This doesn't feel like one, but she still can't be sure. She still can't let go of the nagging hatred and pain inside of her. She doesn't think she ever really will.

"I wish I could believe you Tom."

"Please Elle. I'll do anything to convince you that I'm telling the truth. I'll take veritaserum. I'll let you do legilimency on me – anything."

"I wish I didn't know that you know how to get around both those things."

"We've known each other for so long. If you would just look into my eyes you would know I mean it."

She refuses to look up at him. She knows she will give in if she does. "Look, Tom. I don't know if you regret it. Let's be honest, you probably don't. You probably wish you had killed him, or at least driven him away. But you haven't. He's not like the others, he hasn't left and he won't."

It's almost sweet that she believes that, he thinks. That she thinks there is a boy out there who can stand up to him. No, he's the one who she's meant for, and he will ensure that happens. Even if he has to fake some pathetic apology to make sure that she doesn't go and tell the teachers what he'd done.

"That's good. I'm glad he won't hurt you like the others have."

"Don't pretend you're suddenly happy for me."

"You're right, I'm not. I'm not happy that you are with another boy. As I've said before Eleanor, you are my entire universe. That hasn't changed. I just got a little lost. I let myself get so angry that I couldn't see straight to what I actually want. I want you to be happy. I wish it was with me, but even if it's not. Even if you love him, I can't live without you."

"I think you're going to have to," Eleanor says, turning on her heel.

Tom grabs her arm before she can leave. He keeps her in place, trying to maintain a smile. The Gryffindors are still watching.

"I don't think you understand what I've been telling you all along Eleanor. I won't live without you. I'm not going to give up. Which means that you will never live without me. I will always be there, watching out for you. You would do well to keep that in mind, for the secret spots of this castle are not so well hidden as one may think."

Eleanor shivers as he lets go of her. But this time she doesn't just stand there and let him have the last word. She launches a threat that she knows he will understand, because he knows she isn't stupid enough to think the deaths weren't his attempt to carry out the promise he had made in the Three Broomsticks.

"You would do well to remember that too Tom."

**We look up at the same stars and see such different things. – George R.R. Martin**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Shoutout to my amazing beta, HPuni101. She catches so many things that I would be so embarrassed about if they were published. I wish there was a way to add her to the credit on the story.

Thanks for your kind reviews everyone. I'm going on a trip this week so life is indeed turning up. That said, I have finals right after that so updates may be scarce for the next few weeks. I hope you all loved this one. As always, please review :)


	32. Bitter Betrayals

_**Warning: This chapter contains scenes of sexual assault****.**_

**We are all broken by something. We have all hurt someone and have been hurt.  
>We all share the condition of brokenness even if our brokenness is not equivalent. – Bryan Stevenson<strong>

Tom is seething as he stands in front of the high table in the Great Hall. He is hiding it with a smile; of course, as Dippet prattles on about all that he's done to deserve the rank of Head Boy. He's also trying not to reach out and choke that little mudblood brat Eleanor had been clapping for earlier. What he would give to see her crying and begging him to stop as Rose is gasping for her last breath on the ground. What he would give to take away another one of her friends that had taken her away from him.

However, he knows he has to behave perfectly, just as he has behaved for the last month or so, in order to keep Eleanor from revealing all of his secrets. There are just a few more hours until her threat means nothing and he can resume his efforts. Until then, he can smile and pretend he is perfect and perfectly fine, because how hard is pretending really?

So he continues with that fake smile even as he watches her out of the corner of his eye, observing the way she holds his hand and the way she smiles when he hands her half of a cookie and the way she rests her head against his shoulder as Dippet continues his long-winded speech. With each new movement he thinks of a new punishment for when he is finally free of her blackmail.

* * *

><p>Eleanor is tense. She can feel his eyes on her the same way she can feel sunlight when it hits her skin. She is trying to stay calm. She knows he can't do anything now. But still, every time she rounds a corner and sees him, all the air leaves her throat. She isn't sure if she's afraid or she just feels bad, because the way his face sinks when he sees her with Aiden is the same way it does when anyone mentions his parents.<p>

It is a beautiful expression of incalculable loss that makes her have to remind herself that he killed somebody so that she doesn't go and just hug him. But he had, he had killed someone, two someones, and tortured others and probably done dozens of other horrible things she had never heard about as well, and she reminds herself that someone like that does not deserve being saved.

* * *

><p>Aiden knows that she isn't really looking at him. Even if it seems like she is smiling at him, he can feel her looking beyond him. He often wonders if she actually loves him or if she's just been hurt too much by Riddle, and in moments like these he knows he doesn't really need to ask. The blank space between his declarations of love and her responses, the way her eyes stray, the way she hides those pictures of them at the back of a blank black notebook – they are all answers to that question.<p>

It seems like Tom could do anything and she would still care about him more, only she'd always be too afraid to go back to him. The only thing Aiden isn't sure about is if she is too afraid of Riddle himself or just too afraid of what it would mean about herself if she could live with a monster like that.

Anyway, it'll go away one day, he hopes. She will love him one day. How could she not, with everything he has gone through for her? She will learn to be loved by someone who doesn't make love a constant argument. It's just a matter of time – after all, she has much deeper scars to heal than the ones on her skin.

* * *

><p>Tom finally lets a real smile slither onto his face when he steps into the hired car outside the train station a few hours later. If the car is here, she'll be here – it is linked to an account with the company she set up during their third year, after all, so she must have called it to take them back to the orphanage.<p>

His smile drops to a condensing glare as soon as the driver, the same one they'd had to take them back and forth from King's Cross for the last three years, starts to pull away from the curb. He states sharply, "Eleanor isn't here yet."

"I don't believe Ms. Jouteur will be joining us today," the driver responds formally.

"What makes you think that?" Tom asks, trying very hard not to pull out his wand as they veer into traffic.

"She hired a separate car for Windsor."

Windsor? It had to be a mistake. She had called the car for the little lion and was probably seeing him off and now she'll have to call another car and wait for it before she gets back, which means he'll have to deal with Ms. Cole alone at least until dinner.

No matter, he has more pressing matters to take care of right now anyway. Tom rips the corner off a page in his notebook, looking down at the hurried writing and savoring the name of the town he had been looking for his entire life – Little Hangleton.

* * *

><p>A knock breaks her out of her daze and she turns from the window to see a house elf creep in and apologetically tell her that she's wanted downstairs. Eleanor stands and fixes her appearance before walking down the long staircase, puzzled because she knows that Aiden's parents are gone for the day and it's too early for lunch anyway.<p>

She enters the drawing room on her way to the dining room, but is so surprised that she nearly trips over the last stair. Dumbledore is sitting there in his customary purple suit. Aiden is standing in the corner across from her, clearly nervous.

"Would you mind fetching me a cup of tea Aiden?" Dumbledore asks kindly. They all know it is an excuse to get rid of him, but Aiden walks toward the kitchen anyway and Eleanor sits down, trying not to fidget with the hem of her dress.

"I went by the orphanage today to deliver your list of school supplies for next term. Needless to say, I was very surprised to find that you were not there."

Eleanor looks away, sensing that she is in trouble. Of course she had known that Tom had never received dispensation to be away from the orphanage during the summer, so she had avoided asking. She tries to maintain a neutral expression as she says, "I was just visiting Aiden for…"

He cuts her off, preempting the lie she is about to tell, "Ms. Cole said she hasn't seen you all summer. She assumed you were still in school for some reason."

"The letter I sent must have gotten lost," Eleanor lies.

"I have spoken to Dippet about this matter and we would like you to return to the orphanage as soon as possible. You see, Ms. Jouteur, in the wizarding world, we are legally responsible for your protection as our student. And in the muggle world, Ms. Cole is responsible for your guardianship. As you are still below the legal age of adulthood in the muggle world, it is our responsibility to ensure your safety."

"I am perfectly safe here," Eleanor says evenly, trying to resist snapping at him.

"I am sure that you are. However, both wizarding and muggle law is very clear on this matter. You must stay with your legal guardians during school breaks until you are of age. You can still visit Aiden during the day."

"Without using magic?" she scoffs, making it very clear what she thinks of the whole ordeal. Did Dumbledore have to ruin absolutely everything?

"I am sure you'll find a way," Dumbledore says with a tight smile. "Besides, you and Tom must have plenty of catching up to do."

She nearly jumps out of her chair and draws her wand. That stupid interfering brat of a professor really does have to ruin everything. Instead she takes a deep breath and forces a smirk, "I'm sure we do. I'm so sorry that I didn't ask you and Dippet earlier about leaving the orphanage, I'll never make such a large oversight again."

"Ms. Cole is looking forward to seeing you again. I will notify her that you will be back at the orphanage in time for dinner?"

"Of course," Eleanor responds. Only then does she notice Aiden standing at the arch between the two rooms, staring at her. The cup of tea in his hand is shaking. He sets it down in front of Dumbledore and then stands next to her chair, arms crossed.

"I'm sure my parents wouldn't mind vouching for her safety to the ministry, professor," Aiden says.

"Unfortunately, it's the muggle officials we are concerned about. Besides, school starts in just over a month anyway," Dumbledore says before quickly drinking his tea. He knows he cannot actually look at Aiden, because seeing how crushed his favorite pupil is will surely convince him to go back on his decision, and he knows that he has to do this. He tries to cheer up as he says, "I hope that you two have at least started working on your summer assignments."

"I'll get right on that professor," Aiden remarks with a smile. His knuckles are white from how tightly his fists are clenched even as he sees Dumbledore out.

Sometimes, you have to make the wrong choices to get the right results, Dumbledore thinks as he looks back at her before exiting.

* * *

><p>Aiden walks Dumbledore out and then rushes back and says, "I'll call my father now to come back from the ministry. We'll figure something out, a way around this."<p>

"I'm curious, what are you going to tell him exactly? That your girlfriend needs special dispensation from the ministry so that she doesn't have to spend the summer in the same house as her abusive ex-boyfriend? I'm not too sure he'll find that all too appealing."

"Then I'll call Dumbledore back and we can tell him what happened!"

"You should have heard him when he mentioned Tom; it was like he was his favorite student all of a sudden. He was practically telling me that I should practice begging for forgiveness."

"There's no way that's true. He wouldn't let you go back to that monster if he knew."

"Dumbledore doesn't care. None of them care!"

"You aren't going back. We'll figure something out."

She sighs, "You don't think I tried too? There's nothing. If I tell them now I'll have nothing to hold against him next year. It won't be that bad. I'll go back and lock myself in my room and, if worst comes to worst, I'll pretend to have forgiven him until we get back. You're the one he's after. I'll be fine. He would never do anything too terrible to me. It's just five weeks. I can deal with it."

She sees his worried look and walks up to hug him, whispering into his shoulder, "Look, it's the last time, alright? After this summer we'll go to all the places we talked about and we'll have a blast and we will be so, so far away from him. He'll never be able to get to us again – just one last time."

He tries to resist the part of him that is telling him she will never be back in his arms again if she leaves him now. He tries to make himself focus on how they had playfully argued over the answers to the crossword while drinking their morning coffee earlier that day instead of how her eyes always widened when she looked at Riddle, as if he was some sort of God.

Partly he is afraid for her, but mostly he is afraid _of_ her. She had proved well enough over the last few months that she knew how to protect herself. What she hadn't proved was that she loved him. What if she changed her mind again?

* * *

><p>As soon as she is back, Eleanor casts a few strong protection charms on her room and locks herself in. Instead of going down for meals, she sneaks to the kitchen every night after Tom's usual bedtime to grab whatever sustenance she can find. She isn't even sure Tom knows she's come back. He doesn't bother her for the first few days, so she figures he either does not know or does not care, and comforts herself with her books and letters to Aiden.<p>

A week has already passed by the time she hears a knock on her door. She looks out of the peephole and sees one of the smaller children she used to read to crying and nursing a cut to his finger. It's 9 p.m., which probably means Ms. Cole is already drunk and passed out on the couch in her office and the nurse isn't in.

She sighs, grabs her first aid kit, and drops the charm on the door. Eleanor ushers the child in and disinfects and bandages up the small cut before handing him one of her old toys and opening the door to let him leave. Just as the door's nearly closed and she's reaching for her wand to put the charms back up, a hand stops it from shutting.

Tom smirks as he slides inside the room, taking advantage of her surprise to grab her wand and kick it under her bed, "I've missed you Eleanor."

She tries to control her breathing, tries to summon her wand, but she's too panicked to worry about the spell.

He wants to hurt her. She can see it the second their eyes met. It was something he had never really wanted before, something that had always just happened in the heat of the moment, but the ways she had spurned him over the last six months warranted it. How could she have left him alone here, at the place he hated more than anything? She had always been selfish, capricious, prone to moods and fits of feeling that launched her away from him for days, sometimes weeks. He had always known she didn't love him, that in most respects she couldn't love him like he loved her. She didn't have it in her. She always cared about herself and what she wanted most, and she didn't even seem to understand how that affected others.

But he had thought, at the very least, that something about this place, about their shared past, would keep them together for a very long time. He had thought that being back here with her would be his chance to make things right, to bring her back to him until she forgot about the lion who had not fallen for all his tricks. But she had left, and it had been the last push he needed to destroy everything holding him back. Mercy was something to be earned by loyalty, and she clearly no longer deserved it. He would show her just as much mercy as he had shown his worthless ancestors.

"If you don't leave, I'll send a letter to Dippet telling him everything," she threatens, watching him carefully as he leans against the door.

"I think you'll find that hard to do if your arm is broken and your owl is dead, darling," he responds with a calculated smirk.

"I can just tell him when we get back to school."

"Oh, but there's still a whole month until that happens, a month is a long time. In a month I could probably torture the location of your dear lion's manor out of you, kill him and cast the imperious curse on his parents to make them admit to it. And I'd probably have some time left over to cast the imperious curse on you and make you kill that annoying Head Girl you are so fond of."

She shivers and backs away from him. Had those words really just come out of the beautiful boy she had spent so long trying to save? She knew he was no angel, but she had never imagined him as the devil himself.

"Then again, that seems like a lot of trouble to go through," he says, smiling at her. "Doesn't it?"

"Get out of my room Tom."

"Or what?" he pauses, casting a spell that flicks her across the room and onto the bed. Before she can resist or try summoning her wand again, ropes tie her hands back against the headboard. He continues, "You're unable to move, too worried to get your wand back, and, best of all, your own spells ensure that no one else will hear you scream or be able to interrupt us."

He advances on her. When she finally manages to cast the spell that brings her wand back toward her, he interrupts it midway, summoning her wand to him and snapping it in half. He runs a finger along her jaw as he straddles her, "You shouldn't have tried that love. Aren't you just _thrilled_ by our reunion?"

She lies. She knows it is her best bet at this point. If she continues to resist him, things will only get worse. He will only get angrier. If she pretends that she has given in, that he has scared her back to loyalty so easily, that she really did miss him and loves him and there's no use in forcing her to, all she needs to do is keep up the act for an entire month until she is in the safety of Hogwarts again.

Eleanor looks up at Tom and tries to bring that expression back to her face, tries to look at him as she always had when she had just thought of him as a poor, lost little boy. She barely whispers, "Of course I am."

"If you are going to lie, you should really try for a more convincing one," he hisses, reaching down to pull lose the bow holding the neck of her scarlet dress together. "Let's see if you can do better. There is one thing I am very curious about – are you still a virgin?"

Her breath hitches in her throat. She knows where he is going with this. She doesn't even doubt it for a second, because this is the same boy that hurt her so much when they were only in fourth year. Immediately, she starts trying to loosen the ropes around her hands while hoping to calm him down.

"I really did miss you," she says, biting her lip. "I've never gone so long without talking to you. It was like a part of me was missing. Why don't we go and grab ice cream from that place you always liked and then we can go to the park, like we used to?"

"I want you to answer me Elle," Tom says, refusing to be distracted.

She is close to tears already and she can feel it. Even with her concentrated effort to remain calm, her face is crippling under the weight of a thousand regrets, a thousand ways she could have avoided this moment, the very simplest being to never open a door for anybody. "I'll never talk to him again, I swear."

"The problem is that you've said that before. I really wish that I could trust you, but you've proven that I can't."

"Tom, please," Eleanor whispers, holding back tears. "I know this isn't who you are."

"This is the person you made me, Elle."

"I won't love you if you do this."

"Yes, you will. You just need to learn obedience and loyalty first. Apparently I didn't teach you well enough the first time, but I'll make sure to get it right this time dear."

He wishes he really could just go and kill the blood traitor, but he knows it would be too suspicious for his worst enemy to conveniently die while he was under very little adult supervision. And anyway, he had realized that the problem wasn't really with the lion. If he took him away, Eleanor would just find another boy to play with. The problem all along was that she wasn't probably trained.

She was fighting desperately for air as his fingers shoved the fabric of her collar aside. He smelled of overly starched clothes and the roses they used to pick in the garden outside as he leaned down, and his familiar lips were like goose-down pillows which had suddenly grown teeth. The little strands of hair that brush her forehead as he forces their lips together make her want to squirm even more. She can feel the ropes chafing and burning her skin as she continues to struggle and his lips and hands start to move downward.

"Tom, please. I do love you," she gasps out, trying to keep herself from panicking and provoking him anymore.

He smirks up at her, enjoying the way her eyes are lit up with fear, "Make me believe you."

In desperation she lifts her head up as far as she can, pushing her lips onto his. When she pulls away, she whispers, in the strongest voice she can muster, "I love you."

"I told you to be more convincing. Which reminds me, I have a present for you," he reaches back into his pocket with a twisted smile on his face and draws out a square locket inlaid with a green S that glitters like a moving snake. He reaches down, ignoring the fact that she is still thrashing against the ropes, which have tightened in response, and fastens the necklace onto her. "I hope you like it because you'll be wearing it for the foreseeable future. Now, stop moving."

Eleanor disobeys him, trying to lift her knee high enough to kick him in the groin and use her arms to pull herself away. As soon as she moves, her muscles feel like they are on fire. She can hear a piercing noise that feels like it's causing her head to split in half. The locket is rattling slightly against her skin and she figures it must be cursed. She stops moving when she feels like her head will explode, finally ending the noise and the pain.

"Would you like to explain how your brave lion is going to save you this time?"

"Aiden is…" she starts, glaring up at him while still trying to keep as still as possible. The second she says his name, the second she even thinks about him, images begin flashing through her mind of him falling off his broom, only this time no one is there to save him. He's falling faster and faster, almost hitting the ground, until she closes her eyes and wipes him from her mind. She lets out a sigh only to open her eyes again and see Tom staring at her.

Tom smiles and magics away the ropes around her hands, "Would you like to answer my question now Elle?"

She knows if she doesn't the pain will be back. She can barely even drop her arms down onto the pillow without it hurting so much she can't move at all. Eleanor takes a deep breath and chokes out, "Yes."

"Wonderful darling, now remember not to move."

He reaches down and unbuckles his belt, unzipping his pants and beginning to get undressed. She can feel his other hand sliding up her thigh, pushing the flimsy fabric of her dress along with it. She feels like there is a vast weight on her chest and she is trapped by it. She feels like she is floating in water and this can't possibly be real.

"Tom, please," she tries one more time, looking up into his eyes with tears dotting her lashes. This can't possibly be happening. She tries to tell herself that he would never do this to her, but she knows better.

"But you love me, don't you?"

"Please. I'll never disobey you again."

"You're right, you won't, but only because you can't."

He's right, because she tries to move, tries to push him away, but she can't get her body to listen to her. Even as she feels his hands clawing at her skin, his lips biting into her, she can't stop him. She starts crying. His dark eyes meet hers, no glimmer of humanity left in them, "Stop or I will find your little lions and make you torture them."

After this, Eleanor knows not to think he can't. She shuts herself in her own little mental cage, one in which she refuses to believe this is happening, even as she feels him sucking all her breath away, even as she feels him taking away the last thing she had managed to keep safe. Even the dementor's kiss can't possibly be worse than this.

"You will be mine forever Elle," he whispers as he finishes, a genuine smile appearing on his face as he strokes her cheek and kisses her one more time. He rolls off of her, pulling her into his side as he falls asleep. She sobs softly, tears rolling almost unconsciously from her eyes as she hugs herself and stares at her broken wand on the ground.

She will never love him. But he does mean forever.

**Wherever you are, it's okay. You can come back from it. Whatever happened to you down there, whatever the world looks like now, that's not how it always looks. That's not how it's always going to look. There's more. – Patrick Ness**

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **So we are finally firmly in the tragedy part of the story. No going back now. For those of you who wanted it, I'll still write a happy ending oneshot for Tom/Eleanor after the whole story is done.

Thoughts on this chapter? I would appreciate a review with your reaction! As always, thanks for reading.


End file.
